Why is my hydrangea drying out? - Ask Extension
I bought this oak leaf hydrangea last year and planted it in the fall in a partial sun/shady area and I water it every other day. It sprouts leaves ...
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Why is my hydrangea drying out? #910216
Asked July 17, 2025, 12:33 PM EDT
I bought this oak leaf hydrangea last year and planted it in the fall in a partial sun/shady area and I water it every other day. It sprouts leaves that then promptly dry up and it has never bloomed. It looks like it's dying. Can it be saved? How?
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
Dear Jackie,
Hot temperatures are tough for hydrangeas. It can be so hot that the plants cannot move water fast enough through their tissues, causing leaf edges to brown, even if you water them adequately. It is possible that the concrete wall and the metal window well near them are reflecting more heat on the plants. Hydrangeas are adapted to being planted under some shade, so their leaves are susceptible to scorch. Your plants are also young and not fully established enough yet to be resilient to temperature and water changes.
Hydrangeas like lots of water, but it is possible to overwater, especially with slow-draining soil. Signs of too much water are brown leaf edges and leaf drop. Signs of not enough water are droopy leaves that perk up within a half hour of watering.
Here are links to more information about growing hydrangeas.
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/flowers-shrubs-trees/how-help-hydrangeas-weather-heat-wave
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/flowers-shrubs-trees/general-care-hydrangeas
Thank you for your inquiry and best of luck with your hydrangeas.
Hot temperatures are tough for hydrangeas. It can be so hot that the plants cannot move water fast enough through their tissues, causing leaf edges to brown, even if you water them adequately. It is possible that the concrete wall and the metal window well near them are reflecting more heat on the plants. Hydrangeas are adapted to being planted under some shade, so their leaves are susceptible to scorch. Your plants are also young and not fully established enough yet to be resilient to temperature and water changes.
Hydrangeas like lots of water, but it is possible to overwater, especially with slow-draining soil. Signs of too much water are brown leaf edges and leaf drop. Signs of not enough water are droopy leaves that perk up within a half hour of watering.
Here are links to more information about growing hydrangeas.
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/flowers-shrubs-trees/how-help-hydrangeas-weather-heat-wave
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/flowers-shrubs-trees/general-care-hydrangeas
Thank you for your inquiry and best of luck with your hydrangeas.
