Name: Hydrangea Macrophylla - Early®Blue™
SKU: 13001
Availability: InStock

Hydrangea Macrophylla – Early®Blue™

R110.00

15/17cm Pot

In stock

Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Early Blue’ (Mophead Hydrangea)
Bigleaf Hydrangea | Early-season Blue Mophead Blooms

‘Early Blue’ is a compact, free-flowering bigleaf (mophead) hydrangea selected to bloom earlier than many macrophylla types. In appropriately acidic soils it develops rich true-blue flowerheads; in neutral to alkaline soils blooms shift toward pink/lilac. Neat foliage and rounded heads make it ideal for semi-shaded borders and containers, and it’s lovely for cutting.

Plant Care

Sun: Partial shade (best: morning sun / afternoon shade). Shelter from harsh midday heat.
Soil: Moist, fertile, well-drained. For blue colour, keep soil acidic (add pine bark/acid compost; avoid lime).
Water: Moderate — keep evenly moist, especially in summer and in containers.
Fertilizer: Balanced feed in spring; optional light top-up mid-summer (avoid high-phosphorus “bloom boosters” if chasing blue).
Pruning: Light only. Remove spent heads and dead/weak stems after flowering; avoid hard pruning (blooms on old wood).
Top tip: Maintain blue by applying aluminium sulfate a few times during the growing season and using rainwater where possible.

Specifications

Botanical name: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Early Blue’
Common name: Bigleaf / Mophead Hydrangea
Growth habit: Compact, rounded, deciduous shrub
Size: ±0.9–1.3 m H × ±0.9–1.3 m W (in SA garden conditions)
Bloom time: Early summer into early autumn (earlier than many mopheads)
Flower colour: Blue in acidic soils; pink/lilac in neutral to alkaline soils
Bloom (head) size: ±15–20 cm diameter (medium–large mopheads)
Uses: Borders, feature shrub, large containers, cut flowers; reliable colour for semi-shade

Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR)

This cultivar may be protected under Plant Breeders’ Rights. Propagation is prohibited without written authorisation. Plants are supplied for ornamental use only.