Hydrangea paniculata Fire Light® – Panicle Hydrangea Fire Light®

The Fire Light® Hydrangea sets the garden ablaze from summer to fall with a spectacular colour transformation. This sturdy, easy-care shrub starts the show in mid-summer with large, dense flower panicles of a creamy white. They quickly shift to a vibrant pink and then truly ignite with a rich, deep pomegranate-red as fall approaches. Held up on strong stems, these magnificent flowers stay upright and proud, offering a reliable, long-lasting display.

Characteristics

• Foliage: Healthy and vigorous dark green foliage forms a perfect backdrop for the brilliant flowers. The foliage is deciduous.
• Flowering: Blooms on new wood, ensuring reliable flowers every year. Large conical panicles (15-30 cm) emerge creamy white in July, colour to pink in August, and reach their deep red peak in September, a colour that lasts for several weeks.
• Light: Prefers full sun for the most abundant blooms and intense colours, but tolerates part shade well.
• Habit: Adopts an upright, rounded habit that is compact and well-proportioned.
• Growth: Shows a moderate growth rate. Reaches a mature height and spread of about 180 to 240 cm (6-8 ft).
• Soil: Adapts easily to most soil types but prefers well-drained soil. Flower colour is not affected by soil pH.
• Temperature: Extremely hardy and perfectly suited for our climate, it performs exceptionally well even after harsh winters.
• Resistance: Good resistance to White-tailed deer. Its thick, sturdy stems support the weight of the enormous flowers without bending, even after rain.

Use

• Types of Use: Superb as a standalone specimen, in a mass planting for a striking effect, as an informal flowering hedge, or as a structural element at the back of a border.
• Decorative Advantages: Offers an exceptionally long season of interest with its evolving blooms. The dried flowers persist on the shrub, adding texture and interest to the winter garden.

Care

• Watering: Water regularly during the first season to encourage a strong root system. Once established, it tolerates short dry spells well.
• Fertilization: Apply a slow-release fertilizer for shrubs in early spring, if needed.
• Pruning: Prune the shrub back by one-third to one-half of its height in late winter or early spring. This encourages stronger stems and larger flowers.
• Planting: Plant in spring or fall in a hole the same depth as the pot and twice as wide.
• Winter Protection: No winter protection is required.