Hydrangea Pinky Winky

Hydrangea Pinky Winky in full bloom.

* Common name: Hydrangea Pinky Winky(R)

* Botanical name: Hydrangea paniculata ‘DVPPinky’

* What it is: A tree-type hydrangea that gets masses of bicolor pink and white cone-shaped flowers from late summer into fall. Can be grown as a dwarf tree or as a multi-stemmed shrub.

* Size: 7-8 feet tall, 5-6 feet wide is a good maintenance shrub-form size.

* Where to use: Great specimen for a house corner or bed or border centerpiece. Also makes a striking flowering hedge when planted 5 or 6 feet apart. Sun to part shade.

* Care: Prune at end of winter. Thin out and cut back stems by one third to one half (even more to maintain a smaller plant). If you’re pruning as a tree, remove any new shoots from the base, remove lower branches to clear trunk, then cut back remaining canopy into a tight ball. Scatter granular organic fertilizer such as Flower-tone in April. Water if leaves wilt.

* Great partner: Blue-blooming leadwort makes a nice massed underplanting. Catmint ‘Walker’s Low’ or ‘Kit Kat’ are good sunny perennial pals.