5 Nikko Blue Hydrangea Bush Live Plant, 12-24in Tall, Bare Root

Overview

Introduce timeless beauty to your outdoor space with the 5 Nikko Blue Hydrangea bush. This classic and beloved variety, scientifically known as Hydrangea macrophylla, is renowned for its spectacular, large, true blue flower clusters. As a deciduous shrub, it provides captivating blooms from summer into fall, making it a focal point in any garden design. This offering includes five individual plants, allowing for a substantial planting or distribution across different areas of your landscape. Whether you’re aiming to create a vibrant border, a stunning mass planting, or an elegant specimen, the blue hydrangea plant delivers reliable and breathtaking performance. The ‘Nikko Blue’ is particularly celebrated for its robust growth and abundant flowering, making it a favorite among gardeners seeking a touch of traditional charm and intense color.

The Nikko Blue Hydrangea bush is a versatile plant that thrives in various settings, from formal gardens to more casual cottage-style landscapes. Its large, mophead blooms are not only visually striking but also excellent for cut flower arrangements, bringing the beauty of your garden indoors. This Hydrangea macrophylla is a relatively low-maintenance shrub once established, rewarding gardeners with years of magnificent floral displays. The intense blue coloration is often influenced by acidic soil conditions, offering an opportunity to customize the bloom color with proper soil amendments. These plants are shipped as bare root specimens during their dormant season, ensuring they establish quickly and vigorously when planted correctly.

Key Benefits

The Nikko Blue Hydrangea bush offers a multitude of advantages for any gardener, from its aesthetic appeal to its ease of care:

• Stunning Blue Blooms: Enjoy abundant, large, mophead flowers of a vivid, true blue hue. These iconic blooms create a dramatic visual impact and are a highlight of any summer garden.

• Versatile Landscaping: Perfect for mass plantings, borders, foundation plantings, or as a stand-alone specimen. The blue hydrangea plant adapts well to various garden styles, enhancing curb appeal and creating a lush, inviting atmosphere.

• Excellent Cut Flowers: The long-lasting blooms are ideal for creating fresh floral arrangements, bringing the beauty and elegance of your garden into your home for weeks on end.

• Relatively Easy Care: Once established, this old fashioned hydrangea requires moderate maintenance. With proper watering and appropriate light, it will flourish and produce consistent blooms year after year.

• Deciduous Beauty: Provides seasonal interest, with lush green foliage during the growing season and spectacular flowers. Even after blooming, the dried flower heads can offer winter interest.

• Attracts Pollinators: While not a primary pollinator plant, the large flowers can occasionally attract beneficial insects to your garden, contributing to a healthy ecosystem.

• Acid Soil Indicator: The intensity of the blue color in this Hydrangea macrophylla can serve as a natural indicator of soil acidity, allowing gardeners to easily adjust soil pH for desired bloom shades.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Nikko Blue Hydrangea bush ensures a spectacular display of blooms. These shrubs thrive in locations that receive morning sun and afternoon shade, particularly in hotter climates. Too much direct sun, especially during the hottest part of the day, can scorch the leaves and stress the plant, while too much shade can reduce flowering. Aim for at least 4-6 hours of morning sun. They prefer consistently moist, well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. Avoid planting in areas where water tends to collect, as this can lead to root rot. Good air circulation is also beneficial to prevent fungal diseases.

Watering is crucial, especially during dry spells and in the first year after planting. Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Deep watering once or twice a week is generally more effective than frequent shallow watering. For optimal blue color, the soil pH should be acidic (between 5.0 and 5.5). You can achieve this by amending the soil with elemental sulfur or by using an aluminum sulfate solution. Fertilize in early spring with a slow-release granular fertilizer specifically formulated for acid-loving plants or hydrangeas. Avoid over-fertilizing, as this can lead to lush foliage at the expense of flowers. Pruning should be done carefully, as ‘Nikko Blue’ blooms on old wood; prune after flowering in late summer or early fall to shape the plant and remove dead or weak stems. Protect your bare root hydrangea during harsh winters in colder zones with a thick layer of mulch around the base.

Size & Details

This offering provides 5 Nikko Blue Hydrangea bush plants, each measuring approximately 12-24 inches tall at the time of shipment. These are shipped as bare root plants, which means they are dormant and without soil, carefully packaged for safe transit and optimal establishment upon planting. The ‘Nikko Blue’ variety is known for its moderate growth rate, typically reaching a mature size of 3-6 feet in height and width. Expect these shrubs to begin producing their iconic mophead blue flowers in the summer months, with blooms continuing into the fall. The exact timing and intensity of the blue color can be influenced by soil pH, with more acidic soils promoting a deeper blue. When planting your old fashioned hydrangea, consider its mature size to allow ample space for growth and air circulation.

The 12-24 inch height refers to the dormant plant’s stem length at the time of shipping. After planting, these Hydrangea macrophylla will focus energy on root development before pushing out new foliage and eventually flowers in the subsequent growing seasons. While they are shipped bare root in fall and winter, during the growing seasons, they may be shipped in pots to ensure their vitality. The robust nature of these plants ensures they will quickly establish and begin to fill out your garden space, becoming a cherished part of your landscape for many years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these Nikko Blue Hydrangea bush plants get? A: The ‘Nikko Blue’ variety typically grows to a mature size of 3-6 feet tall and wide, forming a beautiful, rounded shrub. The plants you receive will be 12-24 inches tall as bare root specimens.

• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Nikko Blue Hydrangea bush is an outdoor shrub, best suited for garden beds, borders, and landscape plantings. It thrives in outdoor conditions within its recommended USDA hardiness zones.

• Q: How much sunlight does the blue hydrangea plant need? A: This hydrangea prefers morning sun and afternoon shade, especially in warmer climates. Aim for 4-6 hours of morning sun for best flowering and plant health.

• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? Is it good for beginners? A: Yes, the Nikko Blue Hydrangea bush is considered relatively easy to care for once established, making it a good choice for both experienced and beginner gardeners. Consistent watering and proper light are key.

• Q: What condition will the bare root hydrangea arrive in? A: Your plants will arrive as dormant bare root specimens during fall and winter, meaning they will be without soil and foliage, carefully packaged for safe transit. During other seasons, they may ship in pots.

• Q: How long until this old fashioned hydrangea blooms? A: While the plants establish in their first year, you can typically expect your Nikko Blue Hydrangea bush to start producing its first blooms in the summer of the first or second growing season after planting, with more abundant flowers in subsequent years.

• Q: Will this Hydrangea macrophylla survive winter in my zone? A: The ‘Nikko Blue’ Hydrangea is generally hardy in USDA Zones 5-9. In colder zones (like zone 5), some winter protection, such as mulching, may be beneficial to ensure survival and consistent blooming.

• Q: How can I ensure the blooms are blue? A: To encourage blue blooms, ensure your soil is acidic (pH 5.0-5.5). You can amend your soil with elemental sulfur or use specific aluminum sulfate products designed for blue hydrangeas.

• Q: When is the best time to plant a bare root hydrangea? A: The best time to plant bare root hydrangeas is typically in the fall or early spring when the plant is dormant. This allows the roots to establish before the stress of summer heat.

• Q: Do I need to prune my blue hydrangea plant? A: Pruning is generally done to shape the plant or remove dead/damaged wood. Since ‘Nikko Blue’ blooms on old wood, prune lightly after flowering in late summer or early fall to avoid cutting off next year’s flower buds.