Hydrangea Troubles - Ask Extension
We planted hydrangeas in our front and back yard in early May. They are not looking good and we have tried a few different things. We thought we may h...
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Hydrangea Troubles #934625
Asked June 08, 2026, 10:01 AM EDT
We planted hydrangeas in our front and back yard in early May. They are not looking good and we have tried a few different things. We thought we may have been underwatering them, so we have given them plenty more water and they aren't much better. I also cut the dead ones 2 weeks ago, and now it looks like there are more dead ones. They get direct sunlight in the afternoon. Do you have any idea what we need to fix?
Anne Arundel County Maryland
Expert Response
The pictured hydrangea look pretty good to us, with the minor exception of some minimal scorching on some leaves, likely from exposure to too much direct sun and/or having dried out too much at one point.
The flower clusters are faded because those blooms are spent, which is normal; hydrangea flowers do not last all summer, and even varieties that are capable of reblooming (not all are) will have older flowers fade as they age and gradually produce fresh blooms. We don't know how long each flower cluster may last, but it's probably a couple weeks or so. Some varieties have flowers that become very pale with age, while others turn greener and others turn reddish; it's variety-dependent, but eventually the old petals dry and turn brown. You can dead-head the plants (trim the spent flowers off) if the old flower heads are an eyesore. Don't trim any further down the stem than just below the old flower head as doing so might remove buds for more blooms (if it's a reblooming variety). There are hundreds of Bigleaf Hydrangea varieties on the market, and we can't tell which one this is unless you happen to have its variety ID tag.
Although they grow best (and the flowers don't fade as quickly) when grown in partial shade (such as dappled afternoon light), we've seen Bigleaf Hydrangea do okay in lots of sun in some locations where they have cooling breezes and ample root moisture. You may be able to have them do well in a fairly sunny spot if they can be monitored for watering needs during periods of dry weather. (We're still in a drought across the state.) You can find guidance on our Watering Trees and Shrubs page. Trim the spent flowers off at your discretion (leaving them won't cause them to not bloom again, as that's a genetic trait they either will or won't have) and keep an eye on their watering needs and they'll probably be fine.
Some Bigleaf Hydrangea cultivars are less cold-hardy than others, and those bought in early spring as forced decor plants around Easter time tend to fall into that category, which can mean that they might not flower well some years if winter weather kills the overwintering flower buds. (For the same reason of avoiding the removal of flower buds, do not prune back their bare stems in winter.)
Miri
The flower clusters are faded because those blooms are spent, which is normal; hydrangea flowers do not last all summer, and even varieties that are capable of reblooming (not all are) will have older flowers fade as they age and gradually produce fresh blooms. We don't know how long each flower cluster may last, but it's probably a couple weeks or so. Some varieties have flowers that become very pale with age, while others turn greener and others turn reddish; it's variety-dependent, but eventually the old petals dry and turn brown. You can dead-head the plants (trim the spent flowers off) if the old flower heads are an eyesore. Don't trim any further down the stem than just below the old flower head as doing so might remove buds for more blooms (if it's a reblooming variety). There are hundreds of Bigleaf Hydrangea varieties on the market, and we can't tell which one this is unless you happen to have its variety ID tag.
Although they grow best (and the flowers don't fade as quickly) when grown in partial shade (such as dappled afternoon light), we've seen Bigleaf Hydrangea do okay in lots of sun in some locations where they have cooling breezes and ample root moisture. You may be able to have them do well in a fairly sunny spot if they can be monitored for watering needs during periods of dry weather. (We're still in a drought across the state.) You can find guidance on our Watering Trees and Shrubs page. Trim the spent flowers off at your discretion (leaving them won't cause them to not bloom again, as that's a genetic trait they either will or won't have) and keep an eye on their watering needs and they'll probably be fine.
Some Bigleaf Hydrangea cultivars are less cold-hardy than others, and those bought in early spring as forced decor plants around Easter time tend to fall into that category, which can mean that they might not flower well some years if winter weather kills the overwintering flower buds. (For the same reason of avoiding the removal of flower buds, do not prune back their bare stems in winter.)
Miri
