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Limelight Prime® Panicle Hydrangea Hydrangea paniculata

Flower Season
  • Summer
  • Fall
Mature Size
6' 5' 1.8m 1.5m
Height: 4' - 6'
Spread: 4' - 5'
Height: 1.2m - 1.8m
Spread: 1.2m - 1.5m
  • Details

    48 - 72 Inches
    48 - 60 Inches
    48 - 60 Inches
    1.2m - 1.8m
    1.2m - 1.5m
    1.2m - 1.5m

    Features

    The next generation of 'Limelight' is here! Introducing Limelight Prime® hydrangea.

    In a very short time, Limelight hydrangea became one of the most popular plants ever - but that doesn't mean that there wasn't room for improvement. So we've spent years developing this new selection that does everything better than the original, from bud to bloom and beyond. Here's how Limelight Prime hydrangea is different:

    • blooms much earlier, creating a longer display. This is especially valuable in colder climates, where 'Limelight' might not bloom until late August.
    • bolder, brighter color. As the green blooms age, they develop pink and red tones that are far more vivid and showy than conventional panicle hydrangeas.
    • stronger stems. Though strong stems is a crucially important factor in the panicle hydrangeas we select for Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs, you can count on Limelight Prime to hold its big blooms up all summer long.
    • useful smaller size. Limelight Prime reaches a very garden- and landscape-friendly 4-6'/1.2-1.8m tall and 4-5'/1.2-1.5m wide. 

    What's the same? You can count on Limelight Prime hydrangea to produce dozens of big, beautiful, mophead blooms every year, even in cold climates. It also makes a fantastic cut flower, both fresh and dried. And it's still one of the easiest to grow, most rewarding hydrangeas you can plant. 

    Limelight Prime hydrangea will be available in better garden centers beginning spring 2021; click here for a list of retailers. 

     

    Long Blooming
    Fall Interest
    Deadheading Not Necessary

    Characteristics

    Plant Type: 
    Shrub
    Shrub Type: 
    Deciduous
    Height Category: 
    Medium
    Garden Height: 
    48 - 72 Inches 1.2m - 1.8m
    Spacing: 
    48 - 60 Inches 1.2m - 1.5m
    Spread: 
    48 - 60 Inches 1.2m - 1.5m
    Flower Colors: 
    Green
    Flower Colors: 
    Pink
    Flower Colors: 
    Red
    Flower Shade: 
    Green, turning bright pink and red shades in fall
    Foliage Colors: 
    Green
    Foliage Shade: 
    Green
    Habit: 
    Upright
    Container Role: 
    Thriller

    Plant Needs

    Light Requirement: 
    Part Sun to Sun
    Light Requirement: 
    Sun

    The optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).

    Maintenance Category: 
    Easy
    Blooms On: 
    New Wood
    Bloom Time: 
    Early Summer
    Bloom Time: 
    Mid Summer
    Bloom Time: 
    Late Summer
    Hardiness Zones: 
    3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
    Water Category: 
    Average
    Needs Good Drainage
    Soil Fertility Requirement: 
    Average Soil
    Soil PH Category: 
    Acidic Soil
    Soil PH Category: 
    Alkaline Soil
    Soil PH Category: 
    Neutral Soil
    Uses: 
    Border Plant
    Uses: 
    Container
    Uses: 
    Cut Flower
    Uses: 
    Dried Flower
    Uses: 
    Good for Screening
    Uses: 
    Landscape
    Uses: 
    Mass Planting
    Uses: 
    Specimen or Focal Point
    Uses Notes: 

    Limelight Prime hydrangea is an excellent choice for a commanding specimen or flowering hedge. It's also nice as a backdrop for a garden, or as the centerpiece of a perennial or flower garden.

    Maintenance Notes: 

    Prune by cutting back the main branches by one-third in late winter or early spring. You may also prune in late fall, once it has gone completely dormant, if desired - you'll find more information in our Ultimate Guide to Panicle Hydrangeas

    Panicle hydrangeas require well-drained soil. As such, we do not recommend amending the soil when you plant them, as explained here

    Fertilize in early spring (just as the ground begins to thaw in cold climates) if desired, using a granular rose fertilizer. You may fertilize monthly through late July for more rapid growth, but this is not necessary for a healthy, abundantly-blooming plant.

    Limelight Prime® Hydrangea paniculata 'SMNHPPH' USPP 32,511, Can PBRAF
  • 4 Reviews

    5
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    1
    Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant.
    • I pre-ordered three Limelight Prime hydrangeas (quart size) in the winter of 2022 and they were delivered in early May of 2023. Being new to gardening I was excited to see my hydrangeas grow from baby shrubs to their full glory. The shrubs leafed out beautifully and grew fast, but became very leggy. They bloomed profusely, but because they were leggy, the branches flopped under the weight of the big blooms, especially after a rain. This surprised me as the Prime was supposed to be sturdier than the original Limelight so I was a little concerned and disappointed. However, I was not disappointed in the blooms! The flowers were large and the color was as described – beautiful lime, turning creamy white, and then turning dark pink/light burgundy in the fall. (In zone 8a, our nights are not cold enough for the blooms to turn deep burgundy.) One afternoon in the winter of 2023, I was watching The Gardening Simplified YouTube channel and the hosts mentioned that when you buy a shrub in the quart size, you are essentially taking on the job of the grower, and performing the required pruning of the baby plant, slowing it’s growth to allow the plant time to create a strong structure (paraphrasing). I wish that information had been provided on the PW website when I placed my order. It would have been very helpful to a new gardener! In early March of 2024, I pruned the shrubs back to about 1/3 their size and they came back big and beautiful with very sturdy branches. In summation, I am thrilled with my Limelight Prime hydrangeas and I am confident that their new strong structure will support the beautiful blooms for years to come!

      Barbara
      , North Carolina
      , United States
      , 22 weeks ago
    • Gorgeous Plant. I have it in a large container and this is its second year - now about 3 feet tall and wide. Covered in deep pink blooms, it makes me happy every time I go outside.

      Bonnie Lynn
      , New Jersey
      , United States
      , 2 years ago
    • Beautiful. Getting established and already reliably flowering. Bit more compact then Limelight which is useful. Another winner!

      CarolinaGuy
      , North Carolina
      , United States
      , 3 years ago
    • Outstanding

      Andrew J Nanoff
      , California
      , United States
      , 3 years ago
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