Hydrangeas are rock stars of the shrub world, and white hydrangeas have a little extra elegance. White hydrangea flowers can light up a shady area, give the space a sense of calm, act as a neutral foil against other colors, and serve as an exclamation or focal point. Select from these varieties to fit the growing conditions you have.
Choosing the Best White Hydrangea
There are several types of white hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.), each needing specific locations and care to perform best. These are the four most common types:
Smooth (H. arborescens): ‘Annabelle’ is the most popular variety. Smooth hydrangeas flower best in full sun, but southern gardeners should site the plants in part shade.
Bigleaf (H. macrophylla): Bigleaf hydrangeas are the classic florist hydrangea that everyone loves, but not everyone can grow. Bigleafs grow best with partial shade in moist, well-drained soils. Most are hardy to Zone 5 or to Zone 4 with winter protection.
Panicle (H. paniculata): Tough and easy to grow, panicle hydrangeas produce cone-shaped flowers. They prefer full sun and survive in all but the coldest climates (Zone 3). Panicles bloom later than other varieties, usually midsummer. Heights can range from 3 to 10 feet, depending on the variety.
Oakleaf (H. quercifolia): These plants have oak-shaped leaves, which turn eye-catching shades of burgundy, rust, or orange in the fall. The white flower heads usually transform to pink or tan as the weather cools. Cultivars of this native species, generally hardy to Zone 5, do well in dry soils and sun to partial shade.
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‘Annabelle’ Smooth Hydrangea
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‘Annabelle’ is a bit like Garrison Keillor’s famous Lake Wobegon, the little town that time forgot. Smooth hydrangeas are native to much of the eastern United States, so changes were bound to occur. In the 1960s, a horticulture professor discovered that a smooth hydrangea bush growing in Anna, Illinois, had bigger white flowers than the traditional species. Since then, this variety has become a popular favorite.
Name: Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’
Hydrangea Type: Smooth
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade. Provide extra water in extreme heat.
Size: 5 feet tall and wide
Zones: 3-9
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‘Incrediball’ Smooth Hydrangea
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‘Incrediball’ is ‘Annabelle’ with even bigger flower heads, as large as 12 inches wide, held on sturdy stems. This shrub is tall and wide, making it perfect as a screen or focal point in the landscape. Like ‘Annabelle’, it’s cold-hardy, so a harsh winter won’t affect its summer blooming performance. It might even perform a little better in northern climates than in the south.
Name: Hydrangea arborescens ‘Incrediball’
Hydrangea Type: Smooth
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade. Provide extra water in extreme heat. Prune in late winter to early spring to encourage new growth and blooms.
Size: 4 to 5 feet tall and wide
Zones: 3-9
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‘Haas’ Halo’ Smooth Hydrangea
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Imagine ‘Annabelle’ if you flattened out the blooms so they were about 14 inches wide and an inch or two deep. That would describe ‘Haas’ Halo’. This lacecap smooth hydrangea is drought-, humidity- and heat-tolerant.
Name: Hydrangea arborescens ‘Haas’ Halo’
Hydrangea Type: Smooth
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; prefers morning sun and afternoon shade.
Size: 3 to 5 feet tall and wide
Zones: 3-9
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‘Snow Queen’ Oakleaf Hydrangea
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Oakleaf hydrangeas are native to the southeastern United States, so they tolerate hot, humid weather and aren’t quite as cold-hardy as other hydrangeas. ‘Snow Queen’ has 4- to 12-inch-long white panicles that change to a rosy shade by fall when they coordinate with the red-burgundy-purple color change of the leaves. Attractive peeling cinnamon-color bark adds interest in the winter after the leaves have dropped.
Name: Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snow Queen’
Hydrangea Type: Oakleaf
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade (tolerates more sun the farther north it grows). Prefers well-draining soil with average moisture.
Size: 4 to 8 feet tall and wide
Zones: 5-9; may need winter protection in northern gardens
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‘Gatsby Gal’ Oakleaf Hydrangea
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If you like ‘Snow Queen’ oakleaf hydrangea but don’t have enough room, take a look at ‘Gatsby Gal’. The white flower cones are oversized for the shrub’s dimensions and held upright on strong stems. Tim Wood, product development manager at Spring Meadow Nursery, calls it “a showy flower display.”
Name: Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Gatsby Gal’
Hydrangea Type: Oakleaf
Growing Conditions: Moist, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.
Size: 5 to 6 feet tall and wide
Zones: 5-9; may need winter protection in northern gardens
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‘Gatsby Moon’ Oakleaf Hydrangea
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The individual flowers on the upright cones of ‘Gatsby Moon’ are packed tightly together. They present an attractive quilted look that makes you want to run your fingers across them. The white panicles age to green over time, and the foliage turns a shiny burgundy in the fall. This white hydrangea almost seems to glow in the evening.
Name: Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Gatsby Moon’
Hydrangea Type: Oakleaf
Growing Conditions: Moist, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.
Size: 5 to 8 feet tall and wide
Zones: 5-9; may need winter protection in northern gardens
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‘Gatsby Star’ Oakleaf Hydrangea
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When it comes to double-flowered oakleaf hydrangeas, ‘Gatsby Star’ lives up to its name. This white hydrangea variety sports gorgeous white double petals that are pointed instead of rounded, so each blossom looks like a tiny star. In the fall, the flower color turns pink, and the leaves are burgundy. This is a white hydrangea you’ll want to see up close.
Name: Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Gatsby Star’
Hydrangea Type: Oakleaf
Growing Conditions: Moist, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.
Size: 5 to 6 feet tall and wide
Zones: 5-9; may need winter protection in northern gardens
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‘Little Lamb’ Panicle Hydrangea
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‘Little Lamb’ is as cute as its namesake. Tiny, densely clustered blossoms make each white flower head look like a fluffy baby sheep. This variety begins blooming in midsummer, and the flowers turn a rich pink in the fall.
Name: Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lamb’
Hydrangea Type: Panicle
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade. Tolerates drought.
Size: 4 to 6 feet tall and wide
Zones: 3-8
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‘Polar Ball’ Panicle Hydrangea
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Do you want it supersized? Look for ‘Polar Ball’, with huge, snowy white blooms. According to Wood, this hydrangea stands 6 to 8 feet tall with “outrageously oversized” flowers. “I’d say the sepals—the large decorative petals—are about four times as large, and the flower head is 50 percent larger [than an average white hydrangea],” he adds.
Name: Hydrangea paniculata ‘Polar Ball’
Hydrangea Type: Panicle
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade. Tolerates drought.
Size: 6 to 8 feet tall and wide
Zones: 3-8
‘White Diamonds’ Panicle Hydrangea
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Diamonds are among the toughest substances on the planet. While this white hydrangea can’t be used to drill holes, it stands up to heat and drought better than others. Upright, sturdy stems hold white flower heads that transition by fall to a pale tan.
Name: Hydrangea paniculata ‘White Diamonds’
Hydrangea Type: Panicle
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade. Tolerates drought.
Size: 4 to 5 feet tall, 5 to 6 feet wide
Zones: 4-8
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‘Bobo’ Panicle Hydrangea 101965963.tif
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If you have room for a large container, you have enough space to grow ‘Bobo’, a dwarf white hydrangea that reaches 3 feet if it’s feeling tall. Though it’s on the small side for a hydrangea bush, ‘Bobo’ is still a total show stopper with pure white flowers that almost appear to glow in the garden. “This dwarf hydrangea has so many flowers it looks like a little puff ball of blooms; you can hardly see the leaves,” Wood says.
Name: Hydrangea paniculata ‘Bobo’
Hydrangea Type: Panicle
Growing Conditions: Part shade, especially afternoon shade, in evenly moist, well-drained soil.
Size: 3 feet tall, 3 to 4 feet wide
Zones: 3-8
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Wedding Gown Bigleaf Hydrangea
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Say “I do!” to ‘Wedding Gown’, a bigleaf white hydrangea. Each of the small blossoms that form the flower head features double petals, like a wedding bouquet on a stem. This smaller hydrangea variety also works well in containers.
Name: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Wedding Gown’
Hydrangea Type: Bigleaf
Growing Conditions: Part shade, especially afternoon shade, in evenly moist, well-drained soil.
Size: 2 to 3 feet tall, 3 to 5 feet wide
Zones: 5-8
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‘Blushing Bride’ Bigleaf Hydrangea
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This daughter of ‘Endless Summer’ hydrangea blooms on both new and old wood. Round white blooms about 6 inches wide age to a pretty pale pink or blue, depending on the soil pH. Robust stems keep the large white mopheads upright. Pruning can be done in fall, or dried blooms can be left on the stems for winter interest until spring.
Name: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Blushing Bride’
Hydrangea Type: Bigleaf
Growing Conditions: Part shade, especially afternoon shade, in evenly moist, well-drained soil.
Size: 3 to 6 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4-9
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‘White Dome’ Smooth Hydrangea
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The ‘White Dome’ hydrangea is an upright, rounded shrub that bears fluffy clusters of creamy-white flowers. The plant is a stellar alternative to ornamental grass and carries few diseases, making it a relatively easy one to care for.
Name: Hydrangea arborescens ‘White Dome’
Hydrangea Type: Smooth
Growing Conditions: Medium moisture. Full sun to part shade. Provide extra water in full sun.
Size: 6 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4-9
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‘Ruby Slippers’ Oakleaf Hydrangea
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‘Ruby Slippers’ is a compact form with inflorescences that are large for such a small plant, growing up to 9 inches long. The shrub is covered in white flowers that quickly turn pink and then mature to a saturated ruby color.
Name: Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’
Hydrangea Type: Oakleaf
Growing Conditions: Fun sun to partial shade in well-drained soil.
Size: 4 feet tall, 5 feet wide
Zones: 5–9
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‘Alice’ Oakleaf Hydrangea
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‘Alice’ produces white flowers on 14-inch inflorescences. They eventually turn pink, then beige, just before the foliage matures to a deep purple and burgundy color for autumn. The mature branches provide interesting color and texture in winter.
Name: Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Alice’
Hydrangea Type: Oakleaf
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil.
Size: 8 feet tall and wide
Zones: 5–9
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‘PeeGee’ Panicle Hydrangea
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‘PeeGee’ is a vigorous shrub or small tree for full sun. It bears clusters of white flowers in summer that fade to shades of rose or green before turning beige in winter. It can be trained as an upright tree to 25 feet tall but is more often grown as a shrub that reaches about 15 feet tall.
Name: Hydrangea paniculata‘PeeGee’
Hydrangea Type: Panicle
Growing Conditions: Full sun or partial shade in moist, well-drained soil.
Size: 15-25 feet tall and 8 feet wide
Zones: 4–8
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Climbing Hydrangea
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Climbing hydrangeas combine the attractive growth habit of a vine with the beauty of hydrangeas. This big vine produces large clusters of white flowers held against rich, dark green foliage in early summer. Climbing hydrangeas latch onto supporting structures by aerial roots.They grow slowly and won’t flower for the first few years.
Name: Hydrangea anomala
Hydrangea Type: Vine
Growing Conditions: Sun or shade, rich well-drained soil
Size: 30-50 feet tall, 5–6 feet wide
Zones: 4–7
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‘Limelight’ Panicle Hydrangea
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‘Limelight’ is a sun-loving selection with large flowers that emerge as creamy white but turn light chartreuse as they mature in midsummer into autumn. The blooms deepen to pinkish-rose in cool weather.
Name: Hydrangea paniculata‘Limelight’
Hydrangea Type: Panicle
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moist, well-drained soil.
Size: 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide
Zones: 3–8
