Overview

Transform your outdoor space with the classic elegance of a Nikko Blue Hydrangea Bush. This offering is for one bare root hydrangea plant, typically measuring 12-24 inches tall, ready to establish itself in your garden. The ‘Nikko Blue’ is a beloved, old-fashioned variety of Hydrangea macrophylla, celebrated for its stunning, large, globular blue flower clusters. As a deciduous shrub, it provides lush green foliage throughout the growing season, culminating in a spectacular floral display that adds a touch of sophistication and vibrant color to any landscape. Ideal for borders, mass plantings, or as a focal point, this live plant promises years of breathtaking beauty. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, the charm and reliability of this blue hydrangea make it an excellent choice.

The Nikko Blue Hydrangea Bush is renowned for its ability to produce abundant blooms. Its versatility allows it to thrive in various garden settings, attracting pollinators and delighting onlookers. This particular offering provides a healthy, vigorous bare root specimen, ensuring a strong start for your new garden addition. Prepare to enjoy a season full of captivating blue hues with this exceptional plant.

Key Benefits

Cultivating a Nikko Blue Hydrangea Bush brings numerous advantages to your garden and home. Its striking appearance and adaptable nature make it a highly desirable plant. Here are some key benefits:

• Stunning Visual Appeal: The large, vibrant blue flower heads create a dramatic and beautiful focal point in any garden setting, enhancing curb appeal and providing a cheerful atmosphere.
• Long Blooming Season: Enjoy a prolonged period of bloom, typically from early summer through fall, ensuring your garden remains colorful and engaging for months.
• Versatile Landscaping: Perfect for a variety of uses, including shrub borders, foundation plantings, mass plantings, or as an elegant specimen plant. It can also be grown in large containers.
• Cut Flower Potential: The magnificent blooms are excellent for cutting, allowing you to bring the beauty of your garden indoors for stunning floral arrangements.
• Attracts Pollinators: While generally less attractive to butterflies than single-flowered varieties, the blooms can still provide some nectar for beneficial insects in your garden.
• Established Variety: As an old fashioned hydrangea, ‘Nikko Blue’ has a proven track record of performance and beauty, making it a reliable choice for gardeners.
• Adaptable & Resilient: Known for its robust nature, this Hydrangea macrophylla can tolerate a range of soil conditions and climates once established, offering ease of care.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper blue hydrangea plant care is essential for ensuring your Nikko Blue Hydrangea Bush thrives and produces its iconic vibrant blooms. Hydrangeas generally prefer a site with morning sun and afternoon shade, especially in warmer climates, as intense afternoon sun can scorch the leaves and fade the flowers. In cooler regions, they can tolerate more sun. Aim for at least 4-6 hours of morning sun. The soil should be consistently moist but well-draining. Avoid waterlogged conditions, which can lead to root rot. Water deeply and regularly, especially during dry spells and the plant’s establishment period.

The key to achieving blue flowers with Hydrangea macrophylla varieties like ‘Nikko Blue’ is soil acidity. Acidic soil (pH 5.5-6.0) allows the plant to absorb aluminum, which is responsible for the blue coloration. To maintain or achieve blue flowers, amend your soil with aluminum sulfate or elemental sulfur. For pink flowers, increase soil alkalinity. A rich, well-draining soil mix that retains moisture is ideal. Fertilize in spring with a balanced slow-release fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants. Pruning should be done after flowering in late summer or early fall, as ‘Nikko Blue’ blooms on old wood. Remove only dead, damaged, or weak stems, and shape as needed. This old fashioned hydrangea is generally hardy in USDA Zones 5-9.

When your bare root hydrangea arrives, soak the roots in water for a few hours before planting. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root spread and just as deep. Spread the roots out and backfill with soil, ensuring the crown is at soil level. Water thoroughly after planting. Protect young plants from harsh winter winds in colder zones. With diligent blue hydrangea plant care, your bush will reward you with spectacular blooms year after year.

Size & Details

This offering includes one Nikko Blue Hydrangea Bush, shipped as a bare root plant. Upon arrival, the plant will typically stand between 12 and 24 inches tall. This size is ideal for establishing a strong root system quickly once planted. As a deciduous shrub, its foliage will emerge in spring, followed by abundant blue blooms in early summer. The mature size of the ‘Nikko Blue’ hydrangea can reach 4-6 feet in height and spread, forming a beautiful, rounded bush. Its vigorous growth habit ensures it establishes well in a suitable environment.

Planting a bare root hydrangea in fall or early spring is recommended to allow the roots to develop before the stress of summer heat. This variety is known for its relatively fast growth rate, quickly filling out to create a lush presence in your garden. The ‘Nikko Blue’ is a reliable choice for gardeners seeking a classic, long-flowering shrub that offers substantial visual impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Nikko Blue Hydrangea Bush get? A: This particular Nikko Blue Hydrangea Bush is shipped as a 12-24 inch tall bare root plant. When mature, it typically reaches a height and spread of 4-6 feet, forming a full, rounded shrub.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Nikko Blue Hydrangea Bush is an outdoor plant, best suited for garden beds, borders, or large outdoor containers where it can receive the appropriate sunlight and space to grow.
• Q: How much sunlight does this blue hydrangea need? A: This blue hydrangea plant care requires morning sun and afternoon shade, especially in hotter climates. In cooler zones, it can tolerate more sun, but generally, 4-6 hours of morning sun is ideal.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the ‘Nikko Blue’ hydrangea is considered relatively easy to care for once established. It requires consistent moisture and the right light conditions, making it a good choice for both experienced and novice gardeners.
• Q: What condition will the bare root hydrangea arrive in? A: Your bare root hydrangea will arrive dormant, without foliage, with its roots carefully packaged to maintain moisture. This is a normal and healthy state for bare root plants, ensuring successful planting.
• Q: When is the best time to plant this old fashioned hydrangea? A: The best time to plant a bare root hydrangea is in the fall after the leaves have dropped, or in early spring before new growth begins. This allows the roots to establish before extreme weather.
• Q: What USDA Hardiness Zones is this Hydrangea macrophylla suitable for? A: This Hydrangea macrophylla variety, ‘Nikko Blue’, is hardy in USDA Zones 5-9. It can tolerate winter temperatures down to -20°F (-29°C) with proper care and protection in colder zones.
• Q: How do I ensure my Nikko Blue Hydrangea Bush produces blue flowers? A: To promote blue flowers, you need acidic soil (pH 5.5-6.0). You can achieve this by amending your soil with aluminum sulfate or elemental sulfur. The presence of aluminum in acidic soil causes the blue coloration.
• Q: Does this old fashioned hydrangea bloom on old or new wood? A: The ‘Nikko Blue’ is an old fashioned hydrangea that blooms on old wood. This means it forms its flower buds on the previous year’s growth, so pruning should be done after flowering in late summer or early fall.
• Q: What type of soil does this blue hydrangea prefer? A: This blue hydrangea plant care thrives in rich, well-draining soil that retains moisture. Amending with organic matter like compost can improve soil structure and fertility.