Recently I made a delightful connection with a fellow Hydrangea lover in Wisconsin, and she asked me what Hydrangeas I am growing. This made me realize that I’d never made a list of these plants that are currently at Poison Ivy Acres. 

Forever and Ever Peppermint is a favorite, and now that our winters are warmer Cherry Explosion is a great companion. Both of these are macrophyllas. 

So tonight I sat down and listed them. Note that is is a list of those I’m currently growing. I’ve planted many others that I felt didn’t make the grade, as we say, and those I dug up and tossed into the compost or the woods. So if you’re tempted to ask me, “What about this one?” or “Have you grown that one?” it’s likely that I have grown this and that, and for one reason or another they weren’t up to my standards.

Maybe they weren’t very bud-hardy, or perhaps they were very prone to leaf spot (Cercospora or Anthracnose) and so were always ugly. Or maybe I just wasn’t fond of the plant…for example, there have been several dark-foliage Hydrangeas that I just haven’t warmed to. No matter what the reason, I’m not willing to keep a Hydrangea if it doesn’t perform well or I think that it’s not very attractive. If the plant doesn’t look good or bloom for three years, it’s gone from my garden. 

Little Lime Punch is a favorite panicle for containers and in the garden.

Your next question might be, “Are all these listed in your book, Hydrangea Happiness?” The answer is no. Some of the plants I grow are, sadly, not easily obtainable. I wanted to be sure that most of the plants in my book could be purchased by the gardening public. Why get people excited about a plant that they can’t buy? 

When you approach a publisher with a nonfiction proposal, their first question is, “How is this different from every other book on the topic?” In this instance, I explained that there are many books that list all sorts of Hydrangeas, and many of the plants in those books are no longer available in the marketplace. So one important difference about Hydrangea Happiness is that I focused on plants that most people can find.

Mathilda Gutges is one of my favorite varieties of Hydrangea macrophylla, but sadly, it’s not widely found.

That all being said, here is the list of Hydrangeas that I’m growing as of the fall, 2026. I’m sure that I’ll need to update this list in the spring of 2027. 

Hydranea paniculata aka panicle hydrangeas
Berry White
Bobo
Fire Light
Fire Light Tidbit
Grandiflora
Lava Lamp Flare
Lava Lamp Moonrock
Lava Lamp Torch
Lime Light
Lime Light Prime
Little Hottie
Little Lime
Little Lime Punch
Little Quick Fire
Pinky Winky
Pinky Winky Prime
Powerball
Puffer Fish
Quick Fire
Quick Fire Fab
Tiny Quick Fire
Vanilla Strawberry
Zinfin Doll

I’m sorry that Zinfin Doll isn’t widely available now since it’s one of my favorite panicles. Large flowers, stem sturdy, and great color from white to pink.

The patent on Hopcorn ran out in the winter of 2026, so I’m hoping that people might start propagating it and at least sell it in places like Cape Cod where it does well in our warm Zone 6.

Hydranega macrophylla aka big leaf hydranges
Cherry Explosion
City Line Rio
City Line Vienna
DreamCloud
Forever and Ever Peppermint
Froggie
Glowing Embers
Golden Penny
Hopcorn
Let’s Dance Arriba!
Let’s Dance Big Band
Let’s Dance Blue Jangles
Let’s Dance Diva
Let’s dance Loveable
Let’s Dance Rhythmic Blue
Let’s Dance Sky View
Magical Amathyst
Magical Revolution
Mathilda Gutges
Summer Crush
Tilt-A-Swirl
Twist n’ Shout
Wee Bit Innocent

Froggie is a fun combination of green, white and purple shades on the inflorescence.

Hydrangea serrata aka mountain hydrangeas
Grayswood
Let’s Dance Starlight
Pink Dyamo
Tiny Tuff Stuff
Tuff Stuff
Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha
Tuff Stuff Top Fun

Hydrangea arborescens, aka smooth hydrangeas
arborescens (species grown from seed)
Blush
DreamScape
Flower Full
Garnetta
Grandiflora
Invincibelle Lace
Invincibelle Spirit
Invincibelle Spirit II
Invincibrelle Ruby
Limetta
Mini Mauvette
Pinky Pollen Ring
Storm Proof
Sublime
Wee White

One of the newer smooth hydrangeas is DreamScape. It’s a rich red, that fades to a peachy-cream.

Hydrangea petiolaris aka Climbing Hydrangea
Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris 

The climbing hydrangea on this house is past bloom, but even the seed heads that remain are attractive. They make a nice background for the Agapanthus and the hummingbird.

Hydrangea quercifolia
Gatsby Glow Ball
Snow Queen
Snowflake

Species Crosses:
Fairy Trail Bride
Fairy Trail Fresco
Fairy Trail Green
Let’s Dance Can Do

Fairytrail hydrangeas are a cross between Hydrangea macrophylla and Hydrangea scandens. This one is Fairytrail Fresco, in the second year in my gardens.