One of the best and often overlooked groups of shrubs for summer bloom is the hydrangea. Several different species brighten the landscape with blooms during the summer months. The flowers are rounded and change from an apple green to creamy white during the summer. This variety can be spotted from great distance. For plenty of flowers and dense dark green leaves, plant smooth hydrangea in full sun to partial shade.
Smooth hydrangea is tolerant of many soil types but prefers moist, well-drained soils.
This is one of the hardiest of the hydrangeas often surviving into USDA hardiness zone 3 or northern Minnesota. As the flowers age, they often become a mottled pink. This is the largest of the shrub-type hydrangeas often reaching 10 feet or more in height. There are many wonderful cultivars in this species with 'Grandiflora,' or PeeGee, being one of the most popular. Once again the flowers are so large they often weigh down the branches.