Hydrangea paniculata Limelight Prime® – Limelight Prime® Hydrangea

Limelight Prime® Hydrangea is the new and improved generation of the legendary 'Limelight'. Developed by Proven Winners, it keeps everything gardeners loved about the original, only better. Its main benefit is its enhanced performance: it blooms much earlier, its habit is more compact, and its fall colours are richer and more vivid. It is the perfect solution for bringing the beauty of 'Limelight' hydrangeas to more gardens, without compromise.

Characteristics

• Foliage: It develops dense deciduous foliage in a dark green, which serves as a magnificent backdrop for the brilliant flowers.
• Flowering: The show begins earlier in the summer with large, full, conical flower panicles. They emerge a vivid lime-green, mature to a brilliant white, then transform into a deep, rich pink-red in the fall. Since it blooms on new wood, its flowering is reliable every summer.
• Light: It thrives in full sun or partial shade. The sun promotes the most abundant flowering and the most beautiful fall colours.
• Habit: It forms a shrub with a bushy, upright, and rounded habit, more compact and denser than the 'Limelight' variety.
• Growth: With a fast growth rate, it reaches a height of 1.2 to 1.8 m (4-6 feet) with a spread of 1.2 to 1.5 m (4-5 feet).
• Soil: It adapts well to most soil types but prefers rich, well-drained soil that retains moisture well.
• Hardiness: Extremely hardy, it faces Zone 3 winters without any problem.
• Resistance: It develops very sturdy stems that effortlessly support the weight of its large flowers, even after rain.

Uses

• Types of Use: Its more compact size makes it very versatile. It is spectacular as a standalone specimen, in mass plantings, at the back of a border, or even to create a medium-sized hedge.
• Ornamental Features: Its colour-changing flowers offer continuous visual interest for months. They are exceptional for fresh or dried floral arrangements.

Care

• Watering: Maintain consistently moist soil throughout the growing season, especially in hot weather. A mulch is beneficial.
• Fertilizing: Apply a fertilizer for flowering shrubs or compost in early spring to support its vigorous growth.
• Pruning: Prune the shrub by about one-third of its height in early spring. This pruning encourages stronger stems and larger flowers.
• Planting: Plant it in the spring or fall in well-drained soil.
• Winter Protection: No protection is required for this very hardy hydrangea.