While all lacecap hydrangeas share a round disk of short flowers encircled by showier, lacy flowers, the shrubs vary in size, bloom color, and bloom time. Wide, dark green serrated leaves provide a lush background for the large flower heads. Like most hydrangeas, these are fast-growing shrubs, averaging 2 feet or more per year. Planting time is in the fall or early spring. Lacecap hydrangea is toxic to humans, and toxic to pets. Beyond that, these colorful bloomers are easy to care for. If you plant more than one, spacing depends on the variety, as lacecap hydrangea cultivars come in a wide range of sizes. In some cultivars, the flower color changes with the soil acidity. A more acidic soil will result in blue flowers, while an alkaline soil will cause the flowers to be pink.
Light
Lacecap hydrangeas grow best when planted in a location that receives part-sun, part-shade. A site with morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal. In too much sun, the foliage can become droopy, turn yellow, or scorch.
Water
It’s absolutely imperative that lacecap hydrangeas get enough water, but they do not tolerate over-watering. If you are unsure whether the plant needs water, stick your finger down about four inches into the ground. If it feels dry to the touch, the hydrangea needs water. In the absence of a good long rainfall about once every week, water deeply to the point of saturating the soil without it becoming waterlogged. Watering often and shallowly does not do anything for the plant, as the water needs to reach the roots.
Soil
Lacecap hydrangeas require a rich, well-draining, evenly moist soil that has been amended with organic matter such as manure or compost. To help the soil retain the level of moisture these shrubs require, consider layering a few inches of organic mulch over the soil beneath the shrub. Just be sure to keep the mulch from coming too close to the stems.
Temperature and Humidity
The hardiness of the lacecap hydrangea depends on the variety but generally, it does better in moderately warm weather and humidity than in a hot, humid summer climate.
Fertilizer
Fertilizer will definitely help boost your lacecap hydrangea’s growth. It is recommended to apply a balanced fertilizer for woody plants in the early spring according to label directions. You can also blend organic compost into the soil each year. Fertilization should be limited to the spring and never be done in the late summer because new growth is especially susceptible to winter frost during the plant’s dormancy period.
Types of Lacecap Hydrangeas
There are numerous lacecap hydrangea cultivars. Popular ones include:
‘Twist-n-Shout’, a reblooming lacecap hydrangea that belongs to the Endless Summer hydrangea series ‘Bluebird’ with sea-blue florets surrounding a large cluster of rich blue flowers and reddish fall foliage. ‘Zorro’ with deep blue flowers on strong and upright purple-black stems, and reddish fall foliage ‘Lanarth White’ with white florets surrounding a large cluster of pink to blue flowers ‘Lady in Red’, a smaller (2 feet high by 3 feet wide) variety with red stems and red-veined leaves
Pruning
When pruning hydrangeas, it is important to know whether the variety blooms on this year’s growth (new wood) or last year’s growth (old wood). Since the term lacecap hydrangeas comprises many different cultivars, there is no one-fits-all answer and you need to find out which type of hydrangea you have. If your hydrangea blooms on new wood, prune it in the late winter before new growth starts. If it blooms on old growth, prune it right after it has bloomed in the summer. Dead or diseased branches should be removed at any time of the year and regardless of the bloom type. Deadheading spent flowers is optional.
Propagating
Propagation of lacecap hydrangeas is feasible but it is limited by two factors. Most varieties are cultivars so starting them from seed won’t produce a plant that is true to type and therefore is not recommended. The other restriction is that propagation of trademarked cultivars is prohibited. For non-trademarked varieties, you can use softwood stem cuttings taken from the current season’s growth to produce a new shrub. A good time do to this is in the early summer, that way the cutting has enough time to root and you can plant it in the fall. Here’s how it’s done:
Potting and Repotting
Lacecap hydrangea can be grown in a container. Plant it in a pot with large drainage holes, and slightly wider and deeper than the one you bought it in to allow for some growth before it needs repotting. Terracotta is ideal as it lets excess moisture evaporate and the material is heavy so the plant does not topple over easily. Fill the container with well-draining potting mix. Hydrangeas grown in pots will need frequent watering to ensure they do not dry out. Most potted hydrangeas die from a shortage of water. When the roots start growing out of the drain holes, or the plant becomes root-bound, it’s time to repot the hydrangea to a larger container.
Overwintering
If grown within their hardiness range and in garden soil, lacecap hydrangeas do not need winter protection. However, the roots of potted plants should be insulated with a thick layer of mulch and the container should be wrapped in burlap plus a layer of bubble wrap, or placed in an insulating silo, to protect the roots from the winter freeze.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
Lacecap hydrangeas are susceptible to fungal diseases such as bacterial wilt, blight, leaf spot, and powdery mildew. Adequate spacing between plants and avoiding overhead watering can minimize the risk of a fungus spreading. Lacecap hydrangeas attract aphids. A heavy infestation might require the application of neem oil or insecticidal soap.
How to Get Lacecap Hydrangea to Bloom
Common reasons why hydrangeas are not blooming are too much shade, wrong timing of the pruning so the flower buds have been accidentally removed, or a late spring frost after a warm spell that killed the flower buds. If the shrub is large and cannot be transplanted, pruning surrounding trees or shrubs can help let more sunlight in. As for pruning, once you have determined whether the hydrangea blooms on old or new wood, and have adjusted the pruning schedule accordingly, it will bounce back and flower the following year.
