Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea on Standard

Vanilla Strawberry looks like an ice cream treat

It’s a relatively new French variety that was voted Top Plant by the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) just one year after it was introduced in 2009.

As a paniculata hydrangea, Vanilla Strawberry’s flower clusters grow at the ends of its showy red stems. The long, cone-shaped blooms begin creamy white in midsummer, then gradually mature into a deep strawberry-red, even burgundy in fall’s cooler temps. As new blooms emerge white, you’ll have blooms in every stage of color against deep green foliage.

Bright white cone-shaped flower clusters. Green foliage. Blossoms turn bright pastel pink as they age creating hombre effect. Strong upright stems. Leave flowers to dry on stem for fall and winter interest.

Soil: Any well-drained soil will do. Though dry conditions are unlikely to harm an established plant, prolonged drought will cause flowers to brown and wilt instead of develop a good pink color. We recommend Altums Soil Amendment and Organic Plant Magic soil additive to improve planting areas.
Pruning: Blooms on new wood; prune back by one-third to one-half in early spring for better habit and a slight improvement in stem strength.
Fertilizer: Fertilize once in early spring with Organic Plant Magic soil additive.