Please Look At The Photo Of The Old Wood On My Hydrangea.

Question

I don’t k ow what kind of hydrangea I have- it was here when we moved in. The first year I cut everything back and it didn’t bloom again for a couple years (after that I ignored it and didn’t cut anything). I get huge new growth every year. Last year it only bloomed on the bottom half of the plant. There are some dark “nubs” on the old wood – what are these? The old wood doesn’t seem to be doing anything.

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Answer 1

That looks like Hydrangea macrophylla. Unfortunately, they only bloom on old wood. In your area, some cultivars are not fully hardy and will die back for the most part.

Because they are near a wall and get some protection, you may have some years where you will see a few sparse flowers. If you can offer protection from your old wood, then you may get better results, but those are burnt flower buds.

There are specific cultivars that handle the cold better than others, and are better suited for your area. This article will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/gardening-by-zone/zone-5/zone-5-hydrangeas.htm