8 STUNNING BLUE HYDRANGEAS TO GROW IN YOUR GARDEN
Enhance your landscape with these beautiful blue hydrangea flowers.Blue hydrangeas are a classic garden favorite, and it’s easy to see why. Their cool, calming tones, ranging from soft sky blue to deep sapphire, pop against green foliage and bring fresh color to shady borders and foundation beds. But not every hydrangea blooms blue. That depends on the type you’re growing and your soil.
Blue hydrangeas bring a sense of tranquility and sophistication to the garden. Their cool tones pair beautifully with silver foliage, white flowers, and soft pastels. This color combination will quickly make them a favorite in your cottage borders, coastal landscapes, and shaded retreats.
On this page: Varieties | Why Are Some Hydrangeas Blue? | Design Ideas
On this page:
BLUE HYDRANGEA VARIETIES
Photo by: Proven Winners.
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Hydrangea macrophylla x serrata
Zones: 4-9
Height/Spread: 2 to 3 feet tall, 2 to 4 feet wide
Bloom time: Summer through fall
Flower color: Blue, pink, or purple
This compact hydrangea reblooms reliably on both old and new wood, with sky-blue flowers that open with a soft green eye. As Stacey Hirvela from Proven Winners explains in this video, “You have still really fresh old wood flowers here with fresh new wood flowers alongside, and that is revolutionary.”
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Hydrangea macrophylla
Zones: 5-9
Height/Spread: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Summer
Flower color: Blue, purple, or pink
This hydrangea lives up to its name, blooming all summer with large, colorful flowers. Brighten beds, borders, and containers with this reliable bloomer all summer long.
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Hydrangea macrophylla
Zones: 5-9
Height/Spread: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Mid-summer through early fall
Flower color: Blue or pink
Tough enough to handle cold winters, this little shrub puts on a show all summer. It's a reliable stand out in the garden, with no pruning required.
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Hydrangea macrophylla
Zones: 5-9
Height/Spread: 1 to 2 feet tall, 2 to 3 feet wide
Bloom time: Summer
Flower color: Blue, purple, or pink
Neat and tidy, this compact hydrangea offers intense color and full mophead blooms on a well-shaped plant. It’s a reliable rebloomer that works beautifully in borders, foundation beds, or containers.
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Hydrangea serrata
Zones: 5-9
Height/Spread: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Summer through fall
Flower color: Blue or pink
A nonstop bloomer with double florets that resemble waterlilies. This compact, cold-hardy hydrangea produces a steady supply of colorful blooms.
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Hydrangea serrata
Zones: 4-9
Height/Spread: 18 to 24 inches tall and wide
Bloom time: Summer
Flower color: Blue or pink
Despite its small size, this hydrangea puts out plenty of lacecap blooms that tip down in a graceful arch. It’s cold-hardy and reliably blooms each year.
Photo by: ANGHI / Shutterstock.
'NIKKO BLUE'
Hydrangea macrophylla
Zones: 5-9
Height/Spread: 4 to 6 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Early summer
Color: Blue or pink
This old-school favorite is known for its large, rounded clusters of vivid blue blooms. It blooms on old wood and brings a classic cottage garden feel wherever it's planted.
Photo by: Ellen McKnight / Shutterstock.
ENDLESS SUMMER®
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Balimer'
Zones: 4-9
Height/Spread: 6 to 8 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Late spring to fall
Color: Blue or pink
This hydrangea produces large, showy mophead blooms on both old and new wood. It's a garden favorite for long-lasting color in borders, beds, and pots.
WHY ARE SOME HYDRANGEAS BLUE?
So what makes some hydrangeas blue? It’s not just genetics. It also comes down to your soil’s pH and whether aluminum is available. Some types of bigleaf (H. macrophylla) and mountain (H. serrata) bloom blue in acidic soil, but shift to pink or purple when the soil is more alkaline.
Not all hydrangeas have this ability. As Proven Winners notes, "Smooth and panicle hydrangeas undergo some color change as they age, but their flowers cannot be turned blue."
Want to nudge those blooms bluer (or pinker)? Here's how to tweak your soil to help make it happen.
DESIGN IDEAS WITH BLUE HYDRANGEAS
Blue hydrangeas are as versatile as they are beautiful. The beautiful blue tones bring a sense of calm and elegance to the garden and pair effortlessly with a variety of styles:
- Cottage gardens: Mix with roses, delphiniums, and foxgloves for a soft, romantic look.
- Coastal or seaside gardens: Combine with ornamental grasses, white flowers, and weathered wood elements.
- Shade gardens: Brighten darker areas by planting with ferns, hostas, and variegated foliage.
- Modern spaces: Use mass plantings of one variety for bold impact, especially with clean lines and contrasting textures.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Linda Hagen is a writer and content coordinator at GardenDesign.com, where she combines firsthand gardening experience with expert insights. Based in Southern California (Zone 9B), she’s passionate about vibrant, pollinator-friendly gardens and believes the best lessons come from a trial-and-error approach to growing .
