Hydrangea macrophylla Wedding Gown™ ‘Dancing Snow’
Overview
Uses: Mixed borders, foundation plantings, outdoor containers, specimen plantings, and cut flower gardens.
Benefits: Fully double, pure white flower heads that look like small bridal bouquets, with an outer ring of large florets around a packed center. Blooms early and repeats into fall when spent flowers are removed. Prefers morning sun and afternoon shade.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Mounding, Rounded — compact and full.
Bloom Color: Pure White (fully double)
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Mature Height: 3–4 feet
Mature Width: 3–4 feet
Bloom Season: Early summer, with repeat bloom into fall
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
Pure white hydrangea blooms that look like ready-made bridal bouquets.
Wedding Gown™ has a flower unlike most hydrangeas. Each head is a layered ring of large, fully double white florets surrounding a dense, lacy center, so the whole cluster looks like a small hand-tied bouquet. Against the dark green leaves, the white reads crisp and bright, and it glows at dusk in an evening garden.
It blooms early in the summer, and when spent heads are removed it sends up more flowers into fall. The plant itself stays compact and full, a rounded mound about three to four feet tall and wide, which suits a foundation bed, the front of a mixed border, or a large container by the door.
Cut a few stems and bring them inside: the doubled heads hold well in a vase and make an easy centerpiece through the summer.
Care
Wedding Gown™ Bigleaf Hydrangea Care
Give it morning sun and afternoon shade. Shade from the hottest part of the day keeps the white blooms from scorching and the leaves from wilting. Deep, all-day shade reduces flowering.
Plant in rich, moist, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Bigleaf hydrangeas wilt quickly in dry ground, so avoid hot, exposed spots.
Water deeply two or three times a week through the first growing season, and during hot, dry weather in later years. Midday wilting on a hot afternoon is common; if leaves are still drooping the next morning, the plant needs water. A two-to-three-inch layer of mulch helps hold moisture.
Feed once in spring with a slow release fertilizer. Heavy feeding produces leaves at the expense of flowers.
Prune lightly. Remove faded flower heads through summer to encourage repeat bloom, cutting just above the next set of healthy leaves. In spring, wait until buds break and then cut out only dead wood. Avoid cutting the plant back hard in fall or early spring, which removes the buds for the early summer flowers. In Zone 5, a few inches of mulch or shredded leaves around the base in late fall helps protect those buds.
Growing in Containers
Its compact size suits a large container on a porch or patio. Use a pot with open drainage holes and a quality potting mix. Container plants dry out faster than plants in the ground, and hydrangeas wilt quickly when dry, so check moisture daily in hot weather. Feed lightly in spring and again in early summer, since frequent watering washes nutrients out of the mix. Roots in containers experience greater cold exposure than roots in the ground. Plants hardy in the ground may require winter protection when grown in containers in colder zones.
Size
What Size is the Wedding Gown™ Bigleaf Hydrangea for Sale Online?
Our Wedding Gown™ Bigleaf Hydrangea ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants ship dormant or near dormant in the off-season, so they may arrive with few or no leaves. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Wedding Gown™ Bigleaf Hydrangea Grow?
Expect about 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide at maturity, in a compact, rounded mound. Space plants about 3 feet apart for a low border or mass planting.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
- Bigleaf hydrangea
- Mophead hydrangea
- French hydrangea
Will the flowers turn pink or blue in my soil?
No. White bigleaf hydrangeas do not shift to pink or blue with soil pH the way colored ones do, so there is nothing to add to keep the flowers white. As blooms age late in the season, they may pick up soft green or pink tints, which is normal.
Where is the best place to plant it?
An east-facing bed, or any spot with morning sun and afternoon shade, suits it best. Shelter from strong wind helps the heavy double flowers stay upright. For more flowering shrubs, see our Shrubs & Bushes.
Will deer eat it?
Deer do browse hydrangeas, especially tender new growth and flower buds. Where deer pressure is heavy, plant it close to the house or in a container on a porch, use a repellent, or protect it with netting. For plants deer tend to avoid, see our Deer-Resistant Shrubs and Evergreens.
