Hydrangea pan. ‘Tuff Stuff’ – #1 gal.

So pretty, it’s hard to believe it’s so tough!

But indeed, Tuff Stuff mountain hydrangea lives up to its name. It shares the showy blooms and beautiful pink or purple color of big-leaf hydrangeas, but because it grows wild on the chilly mountain tops instead of the mild seaside, it naturally developed substantially better cold tolerance. The sturdy lacecap blooms will be bright pink or deep purple-blue, depending on your soil pH, and the handsome dark green foliage resists wilting. If you’ve had trouble getting big-leaf hydrangeas to bloom reliably in your landscape, try Tuff Stuff – it’s the reblooming hydrangea that really does.

– less affected by cold winters than big-leaf hydrangeas, but equally colorful and showy
– lacecap flowers attract pollinators
– reblooms: blooms early in summer on old wood, then again on new wood
– tidy habit means no pruning
– Best Seller
– Continuous Bloom or Rebloomer
Attracts: Butterflies
CHARACTERISTICS
Plant Type: Shrub
Shrub Type: Deciduous
Height Category: Medium
Garden Height: 24 – 36 Inches
Spacing: 36 – 48 Inches
Spread: 24 – 36 Inches
Flower Colors: Blue, Pink, Purple
Flower Shade: Blue-purple in acidic soils, pink in basic ones.
Foliage Colors: Green
Foliage Shade: Green
Habit: Mounded
Container Role: Thriller
PLANT NEEDS
Light Requirement: Part Sun to Sun, Sun
Maintenance Category: Easy
Blooms On: New Wood, Old Wood
Bloom Time: Early Summer, Mid Summer, Late Summer
Hardiness Zones: 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Water Category: Average
Uses: Border Plant, Landscape, Specimen or Focal Point
Uses Notes: Landscapes
Maintenance Notes:
Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Supplemental water may be needed in very hot weather. In hotter climates, afternoon shade is beneficial. Like all hydrangeas, it benefits from a 2-3″/5-7 cm layer of shredded bark mulch.

Tuff Stuff hydrangea should not be pruned except to remove any dead wood in spring, after the new growth begins to emerge on the stems. Older plants can have their oldest stems thinned periodically.

Flower color will vary depending on soil. In acidic soils with abundant aluminum (a naturally occuring soil mineral), color will tend more to purple-blue. In alkaline soil or those lacking in aluminum, flowers will be a deep pink.