Puffer Fish® Panicle Hydrangea

The name comes from the tuft of white florets that pops out of the tip of each flower head as it ages, like a spray of water. This Proven Winners® selection, Hydrangea paniculata 'NCHP1', grows 3 to 5 feet tall and wide in full sun to part sun, hardy from Zone 3 through Zone 8, reaching full size in three or four seasons.

The blooms are dense and fluffy, covering the plant thickly enough that the foliage nearly disappears at peak. They open pure white in midsummer, hold that white for weeks, then age to soft lime green, with the white tip sprig arriving as they mature.

Some pink can show late in the season, and how much depends on where you garden. The color change is driven by cool nights, so northern gardens pick it up while warmer southern gardens tend to hold cream and green instead.

The stems are upright and strong enough to carry the flower load, and the size suits a border, a foundation bed, or a large container. Panicle hydrangeas flower on new wood, so a hard winter cannot take the display, and soil pH does not affect the color. Cut back by about a third in late winter. It wants soil that drains and dislikes ground that stays soggy.