15 Stunning Varieties Of Hydrangea Trees You Could Be Growing In Your Garden

If you want a beautiful conversation piece in your garden, try a hydrangea tree — yes, a tree! Hydrangea trees are simply a variety of the popular shrub that has been trained to grow like trees with longer stalks and blooming tops. Luckily for you, we've found the 15 best cultivars of hydrangea trees that you should consider growing in your yard.

Hydrangeas normally appear as perennial bushes — but one species, the hydrangea paniculata – can be trained to grow as a tree. This means trimming lower branches continually to encourage it to grow up, more like a tree, rather than out, like a bush. If you buy a tree hydrangea from a nursery that's been pruned already in the shape of a tree, it might need extra supports until it matures. Hydrangea trees typically grow between 8 and 15 feet tall, but some can reach heights of 25 feet. They are typically one of the most cold-tolerant varieties of hydrangea. They're also more receptive to full sun compared to other types as well. You can learn how to propagate a hydrangea paniculata through its cuttings.

Many hydrangea trees put the "show" into showy blooms, like the 'Le Vasterival' hydrangea tree, known for its oversized, star-shaped white flowers. Others put on a color show. The 'Limelight' hydrangea tree offers pristine green blooms that turn white or pink, while 'Wim's Red' starts white or pink before it evolves into a deep red. Keep on reading for the most stunning varieties of hydrangea trees to plant for gorgeous blossoms.

'Limelight' hydrangeas are gorgeous woody perennial hydrangea trees whose flowers change from green to white, and then sometimes green again. They thrive in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 through 9. They prefer neutral to slightly acidic soil that's kept a little bit moist. If you want to know how to care for 'Limelight' hydrangeas, plant them in a place where they get sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. They'll grow to about 8 feet tall. Since they've got shallow roots, a couple of inches of mulch could be beneficial. 

'Little Lime' hydrangea starts with green blooms that then can turn pinkish or even shades of burgundy. It's usually half the size of its bigger cousin, 'Limelight', and only grows to be between 3 and 5 feet tall. Don't let its small size fool you — 'Little Lime' packs a punch with tons of blooms every season, and you can count on them to stick around into fall. Hardy in zones 3 to 8, 'Little Lime' loves water, but needs well-draining soil or it could develop leaf spot or bacterial wilt. 

If you're a fan of splashy color, try the 'Pinky Winky' hydrangea tree. Its bright pink and white blooms will give your yard an interesting combination of color. The two-toned white and pink flowers appear from July through September. The 'Pinky Winky' loves to grow in zones 3 to 8 and like many other hydrangeas, it likes soil moist with sun, but can tolerate partial shade. 

If you've got soil that dips to either side of neutral, then the 'Greenspire' hydrangea tree might be the one for you. It tolerates both slightly acidic and slightly alkaline soil, and thrives in any pH from 5 to 8. It grows to about 10 feet tall. It's best pruned back in the winter or early spring, but will be a reliable seasonal bloomer if treated well and will typically grow white flowers. It's slightly less cold hardy among hydrangea trees, as it does best in zones 4 through 8. 

'Wim's Red' hydrangea trees offer a symphony of changing color in the yard, starting with white blooms that slowly transfer to pink and then to the deep red of their namesake. The color transformation occurs from June to September. By pruning the tree to have fewer branches (between 5 and 10), you'll get even more of the color-changing blooms. 'Wim's Red', also known as 'Fire and Ice,' tolerates zones 3 to 8 well. It does well in urban areas, since it shrugs off air pollution as a matter of course.

'Chantilly Lace' is an early bloomer among hydrangea varieties, hardy in zones 3 to 8.  It doesn't grow too tall. At maturity, it will reach heights between 5 and 6 feet. Like its 'Wim's Red' cousin, 'Chantilly Lace' has interesting color-changing blooms. They start white and transform into pink over time. They're fairly no-fuss trees, but they might suffer the occasional bout of leaf spot or bacterial blight. Make sure they're planted in soil with good drainage. 

If you've got a small yard or garden, 'Brussels Lace' might be your top hydrangea tree choice. Known as a dwarf variety, they'll likely be under 6 feet tall, so they won't overwhelm smaller garden beds. Hardy in zones 4 through 9, they'll also have the added benefit of attracting pollinators like butterflies to the garden. And just like 'Chantilly Lace', 'Brussels Lace' will change color from white to pink. It may also continue to bloom into October.

'Grandiflora' hydrangea trees are, indeed, some of the grandest hydrangea trees, as they can reach 25 feet tall. If not trained to grow as a tree, the shrub might spread out that wide as well! So, keep in mind that this kind of hydrangea tree will need room to grow. It's also a bit more tolerant of full sun, though it doesn't mind a little shade in the hot afternoon. 'Grandiflora' prefers slightly acidic soil with pH levels between 6 and 8. It thrives in zones 3 to 8.

'Le Vasterival' hydrangea trees also known as 'Great Star' hydrangea trees are so-called because of their distinctive and unusually large, star-shaped flowers which bloom white. They're hardy in winters down to zone 3b, which means it can handle temperatures as low as -35 degrees Fahrenheit, which usually only affects parts of northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Montana. 'Le Vasterival' will also tolerate a little drought, but it prefers soil moist and well-drained.  

'Phantom' hydrangea trees might just bring the biggest blooms to your yard ever with impressive flowers clusters up to 15 inches long. This variety was created in the Netherlands in 1990, and it comes in both white and pink types that bloom from July through October. The color of the flowers doesn't change depending on the pH of the soil like with other hydrangeas, so don't bother trying to use the kitchen scrap that could turn hydrangea flowers blue an a budget. What you see is what you get.

The 'Pink Diamond' hydrangea dazzles, as this tall variety often grows well over 10 feet high. It's all about dramatic entrances, even though it won't quite reach the heights of the 'Grandifora' hydrangea tree. In order to ensure this beauty blooms well, make sure to do a fair share of pruning every spring. 'Pink Diamond' does well in zones 3 through 8, and prefers well-drained, moist soil. Like all hydrangeas, it can get thirsty, so it needs regular watering, especially during dry spells.

'Firelight' hydrangeas are low-maintenance hydrangea trees that are easy to grow, even for the most hapless of gardeners. They're especially cold hardy, down to zone 3 winters, and produce big, gorgeous white blooms that slowly change to a pinkish red over the course of the spring and summer. They grow about 8 feet tall and will thrive in sun or part shade. A minimum of 4 hours of sun will do. Cut flowers do well in vases, and they can even be dried for decorations.

'Rehny' hydrangea trees, also known a 'Vanilla Strawberry' or 'Vanille Fraise,' since its cone-shaped blooms are both pink and white, was created in Gorron, France in 1987. 'Rehny' hydrangeas will tolerate zones 3 to 8, and grow to about 8 feet tall. This plant loves full sun and needs between 6 and 8 hours of full sun a day. It also craves a consistent schedule of watering, and needs about an inch of water a week.

If you love the idea of a strawberry vanilla burst in your garden, but you want a slightly smaller variety, try the 'Rensun' hydrangea tree, also known as the 'Strawberry Sundae.' This hydrangea tree will reach heights half as tall as the 'Rehny', topping out at 4 to 5 feet tall. It shares the same hardiness zones (3 to 8) as the 'Rehny' but is less demanding of light. It doesn't require full sun, as it can tolerate partial shade. 

If you want to brag about having an award-winning plant in your yard, then plant a 'Silver Dollar' hydrangea tree. The Royal Horticultural Society awarded this special variety of hydrangea tree the Award of Garden Merit in 2008. Every year, the society rigorously grows and tests a group of plants, and the winner is named best in class. It's no wonder. The 'Silver Dollar' has such strong stems that the showy blooms rarely droop, as it does with other hydrangea varieties. It thrives in zones 3 to 8.