Hydrangeas: Growing, Types, and Care in a Pot or Vase

Author: florist Andrea, KvětinyExpres.cz · Updated: August 2026

Hydrangea is a plant with simply no rival in the world of summer bouquets and flowers. Its huge, fluffy, rounded blooms in colors ranging from frosty white through "smurf" blue to vintage dusty pink are simply breathtaking.

A tip from florist Andrea: "Customers very often ask us how to keep these gorgeous giants in shape for as long as possible, whether they're brightening a summer balcony or sitting as a gift bouquet on a table. Hydrangeas are huge water drinkers and need a specific approach. To make sure a wilted plant never arrives at your door, we deliver every potted and cut hydrangea express with our Airway courier service. They travel in air-conditioned vehicles, protected from summer heat. I've put together our tried-and-tested tricks for taking care of them the moment you receive them from the courier."

0. Which Type Do You Have? Bigleaf or Panicle?

Before you start pruning or worrying about overwintering, check which type you actually have — they differ in the most important way.

Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla): The most common type, with round blooms. It sets its buds back in the previous autumn — so in spring you should only trim off dry blooms, since a radical cut would cost you this year's flowers (see below). It needs protection in freezing winters.

Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata): Blooms on this year's new growth, so you can safely prune it more in spring without risking losing flowers. It can also handle full sun, and frost is practically no problem — a more forgiving choice for the garden.

The pruning and overwintering advice below mainly applies to the bigleaf type — if you have a panicle hydrangea, feel free to be much bolder with the shears in spring.

1. Potted Hydrangeas: A Growing Guide for Balconies and Terraces

Hydrangeas make fantastic potted gift plants. But since they have limited space in a pot, they need a bit more attention than ones planted freely in a garden bed.

Choosing a Pot and Watering (The Golden Rule)

The golden rule of growing them is: the flower loves water, but it must never sit in it. The pot needs drainage holes at the bottom, and ideally a drainage layer too (e.g. expanded clay), or the roots will rot quickly. In summer heat you may need to water even twice a day. First aid if it dries out: If you come home from work and the hydrangea's leaves are drooping like rags, immediately submerge the whole plant (pot and all) in a bucket of water. Once the bubbles stop rising, take it out. It'll perk right back up beautifully.

The Secret to Blue Flowers and the Right Substrate

Regular houseplant soil isn't enough for them. Always use a substrate for acid-loving plants (like rhododendrons and azaleas). Ideally water with rainwater or boiled water — hard tap water contains calcium, which lowers soil acidity and causes yellowing leaves.

Want blue flowers? You need to maintain a very acidic soil pH and add a special aluminum-containing fertilizer from April onward. Pink coloring, on the other hand, signals that the soil is more alkaline.

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Blue Hydrangea

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Pink Hydrangea

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White hydrangea

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Location: Watch Out for Sunburn

Partial shade! Morning or early evening sun is ideal, but direct midday sun on a south-facing balcony will mercilessly scorch the leaves and dry out the blooms. If your balcony faces south, place the hydrangea in a corner or in the shade behind taller plants instead.

Spring Pruning and Overwintering

For the most common bigleaf hydrangea, in spring (April) only trim off dry blooms and any frost-damaged branch tips. Watch out! It sets its buds the previous year, so a radical cut down to the ground would cost you this year's flowers. Over winter, move potted hydrangeas to a cool room (around 5°C), cut back watering to a minimum, and don't take them back outside until after the "Ice Saints" in mid-May.

2. Cut Hydrangeas: 3 Quick Vase-Care Tips

Received a cut hydrangea? A single XL hydrangea head is worth ten roses. To keep it perfect, though, stick to these three florist tips:

An extreme amount of water: "Hydra" means water. You can't overwater this flower. Fill the vase with clean, cold water right up to the brim, and change the water every day.

An angled cut and a slit: Cut the woody stem at a 45-degree angle with a knife, and make an additional roughly 2 cm lengthwise slit from the bottom, so the plant can absorb water through as large a surface as possible. If you dip the freshly cut stem into hot water for 10 seconds, the escaping sap won't seal the cut shut.

A bath-tub rescue: Has your flower wilted and hung its head? Submerge the entire bloom, stem and all, in a bathtub (or a deep bucket) of cold water for 2 hours. Hydrangeas absorb water through their petals too, and this shock often revives them miraculously.

Want to bring a piece of summer magic home to your terrace, or looking for the perfect gift bouquet with huge volume? Choose from our fresh potted and cut hydrangeas, and we'll deliver them to you, perfectly cared for, within 120 minutes!