Overview
Uses: Front of the border, outdoor containers, foundation plantings, and cut flowers.
Benefits: A dwarf bigleaf hydrangea with vivid red-pink mophead flowers that turn deep red-violet in acidic soil. Blooms on both old and new wood, so it reblooms later in summer and flowers reliably after a hard winter. Stays about 2 feet tall.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Mounding, Rounded — dwarf and tidy.
Bloom Color: Red-Pink to Red-Violet
Foliage Color: Green
Mature Height: 2 feet
Mature Width: 2–3 feet
Bloom Season: Summer, reblooming into fall
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
Big, bold hydrangea color on a plant small enough for a pot.
Most bigleaf hydrangeas need room to spread, but Wee Bit Giddy® stays a tidy mound about 2 feet tall. It carries full, rounded mophead flowers in a vivid red-pink, a color that is rare among hydrangeas. In acidic soil the blooms shift toward a deep red-violet, so the exact shade reflects your garden.
It flowers on both last year's stems and the current season's growth. The first flush opens in early summer, and new stems keep producing flowers later in the season, so color carries on into fall instead of ending in a single early burst. That same habit means a cold winter that damages the older stems does not cost you the summer's flowers.
The small size opens up spots a standard hydrangea cannot fill: the front of a border, along a walk, beneath a low window, or in a container on a porch or patio. The flower heads also cut well for small arrangements.
Care
Wee Bit Giddy® Bigleaf Hydrangea Care
Plant in full sun to partial shade. Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal, especially in hot summer areas, where midday sun can wilt the large leaves. In cooler climates it handles more sun.
Give it moist, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. Bloom color follows soil chemistry: neutral to slightly alkaline soil keeps flowers red-pink, while acidic soil pushes them toward red-violet.
Hydrangeas are thirsty plants. Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season, and during hot, dry weather after that. A two-to-three-inch layer of mulch holds moisture and keeps the roots cool.
Feed once in early spring with a slow release fertilizer. Too much nitrogen produces leaves at the expense of flowers.
Keep pruning light. In spring, wait until buds break, then cut out any stems that stayed bare. Snipping off faded flowers during summer encourages the next round of bloom. Avoid cutting the whole plant back in fall or early spring, which removes the buds for the first flush.
Growing in Containers
Its compact size makes it an easy container hydrangea. Use a pot with open drainage and a quality potting mix. Container plants dry out faster than plants in the ground, and hydrangeas in pots may need water 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 Wee Bit Giddy® Bigleaf Hydrangea for Sale Online?
Our Wee Bit Giddy® 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 Wee Bit Giddy® Bigleaf Hydrangea Grow?
Expect about 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide at maturity, in a rounded, mounding shape. Space plants about 2 to 3 feet apart for an edging or low mass planting.
Additional Information
What is the botanical name of Wee Bit Giddy® Bigleaf Hydrangea?
The botanical name is Hydrangea macrophylla Wee Bit Giddy® ‘SMNHML’. It is a Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrub selected for its dwarf size and red-pink flowers.
What are some common names for this plant?
- Bigleaf hydrangea
- Mophead hydrangea
- French hydrangea
Why are my flowers a different color than expected?
Bigleaf hydrangea flower color responds to soil pH. In neutral to slightly alkaline soil, Wee Bit Giddy® blooms red-pink. In acidic soil, aluminum becomes available to the plant and the flowers shift toward red-violet. Container plants in a standard potting mix usually stay close to the red-pink end.
Will it still bloom after a cold winter?
Yes. Because it flowers on new growth as well as last year's stems, it still blooms in summer even if winter cold kills the older flower buds. In mild winters you get both the early flush on old wood and later flowers on new wood. For more compact flowering shrubs, see our Shrubs & Bushes.
