Flower buds form along the full length of each stem on this mountain hydrangea, not just at the tips, so the plant still flowers if winter kills back the upper growth. Hydrangea serrata Let's Dance® Can Do!® 'SMNHSI' grows 3 to 4 feet tall and wide in part sun to part shade, hardy from Zone 5 through Zone 9.
The lacecaps are packed so full of showy florets in strawberry pink or lavender that the fertile flowers in the center are hidden. It reblooms quickly, flowering on old and new wood.
Mountain hydrangeas change color with soil pH the same way bigleaf hydrangeas do. Acidic soil below about 6.0 gives blue, alkaline above 7.0 gives pink, and the range between produces purple or a mix of pink and blue on the same plant. Aluminum sulfate pushes flowers toward blue and garden lime pushes them toward pink, and either takes a season to show.
Hydrangea serrata is a close relative of bigleaf hydrangea, with smaller leaves, finer stems, and flower buds that hold up to cold much better. Buds formed on old wood in late summer come through hard winters and late spring frosts that often cost a bigleaf hydrangea its bloom, and that bud hardiness is the main reason to choose a mountain hydrangea. Prune in summer after the first flowering and no later than August, since cutting in fall or early spring removes next year's buds. Dead stems can come out in spring, once new growth shows which ones are dead.
The upright habit suits a foundation bed or a mixed border.
Size at Maturity
Height 3'- 4' Spread 3'- 4'
Growing Zone
USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9
Lowest Temperatures -20°F to -10°F
Light Requirements
Part sun to part shade - 3 to 6 hours of direct sun, or dappled light through the day
Wildlife Benefits
Special Conditions
Reblooming
Seasons of Interest
How to Plant
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