Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea

Hardier than the average bigleaf hydrangea, the mountain hydrangea is a great option for those looking for the beauty of a mophead hydrangea without the sensitivity to cold. Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata) produces phenomenal lace top blooms. These dainty blooms range in color from bright flamingo pink to deep lilac, depending on your soil’s pH, and sit atop a mound of deep green leaves and sturdy burgundy stems. Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea grows 24-36 inches tall and wide, and its tighter growth habit requires less pruning. 

Hydrangeas make for great cut flowers, and the reblooming nature of Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea allows for you to enjoy flowers in your home without detracting from those in your garden. Other than the occasional post-flowering prune, Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea does not require much more than regular watering in the heat of the summer. Native to the mountainsides of Japan and Korea, mountain hydrangeas tend to be more cold hardy than other bigleaf hydrangeas. Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea should definitely be considered in regions with cold winters. 

Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea Care

Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea does well in full to part sun gardens. This hydrangea prefers moist, well-draining soil, and regular watering. In hotter, drier regions, it is best to provide Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea with a bit of afternoon shade. Hydrangeas will wilt when they are both overheating and underwatered, so it is a good idea to feel the soil when you see them behaving this way. Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea is a hydrangea whose flowers can change depending on soil pH; acidic soils will result in purple-blue blooms, while alkaline soils produce pinker blooms. In the early spring, provide Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea with a slow-release fertilizer high in phosphorus to aid in flower production.

Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea blooms on old wood in the early summer, then blooms again on new wood. For this reason, it is a good idea to prune Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea right after flowering, both after its first bloom has begun to fade and again at the end of the season. This prevents removal of developing bud sites, which will cause fewer blooms come summer. At the beginning of the spring and when new growth is being produced, remove any dead or winter-damaged branches to improve the overall health and appearance of your hydrangeas. 

Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea Spacing

Plant Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea 36-40 inches away from other plants to allow for maximum growth. If keeping Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea in a container, be sure to choose one that is at least twice as large as the root ball and has a drainage hole. Plants kept in pots may need water more frequently than those in the ground.

Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Hydrangea Information