Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’
Little Lime Panicle Hydrangea
- Family
- Hydrangeaceae
- Height
- 3 to 5 feet
- Width
- 3 to 5 feet
- Flower color
- Creamy white transitioning to shades of pink
- Foliage color
- Medium to dark green, deciduous
- Bloom time
- Mid summer to September
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Average
- Maintenance
- Responds well to pruning
- Growing zone
- USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8
- Wildlife
- The hydrangea blooms can attract butterflies and other pollinators
About this plant
Hydrangea paniculata Little Lime produces abundant conical flower clusters from midsummer into fall, opening soft lime green before developing creamy tones and gradually maturing to rich pink and burgundy as temperatures cool. Oval, dark green leaves form a dense backdrop for the blooms, while sturdy stems hold the substantial flower heads upright throughout their long season. The changing flower colors provide several stages of interest, and the blooms are excellent for fresh or dried arrangements.
Selected as a compact form of panicle hydrangea, a species native to China and Japan, Little Lime combines a naturally rounded habit with abundant flowering. Its manageable form makes it especially useful in mixed borders, foundation plantings, low hedges, mass plantings, cutting gardens, and containers, where its evolving flowers provide color from summer well into autumn.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Containers · Cottage Gardens · Cutting Gardens
Companion plants
Russian sage · Blue fescues · Coreopsis · Yarrow · Daylilies · Creeping phlox
Design tip
Use ‘Little Lime’ where a full-sized panicle hydrangea would overpower the available space. Its compact, mounded habit can define smaller borders or foundation beds while still providing the substantial flower display associated with larger hydrangeas.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
