Hydrangeas are an incredibly popular plant because they are easy to grow and very tolerant of both sun and shade. The big flowers and stunning foliage they bring to any garden is enough to make you swoon. Of course, you can increase the overall enchantment that you are hydrangeas bring by finding the perfect companion plants.

Hydrangea companion plants

Good hydrangea companion plants should be things that are similar but at the same time slightly different. Similarity should exist in terms of things like soil or water especially if you are planting everything in the same garden bed or soil. This is not necessarily a concern if you are using pots because you can alternate the soil structure and water content much more easily in pots.

In terms of the appearance, it is always good to go with something slightly different, things that contrast the general features of the hydrangea blooms. If you have, for example, a mop head hydrangea in your yard, you get naturally rounded shrubs, flowers, and leaves. So you might want to pick something with rounded foliage as a companion plant for your hydrangea.

• One example is the Hosta with its teardrop-shaped leaves and foliage very similar in shape to that of the mop head hydrangea. Moreover, you can find plenty of flower colors similar to the variety of colors you can get with the hydrangea.
• Delicate ferns make for beautiful hydrangea companion plants for those looking to complement the design and structure of the hydrangea.
• Another beautiful option is an evergreen Mahonia, the soft caress variety which has textures and its foliage that contrast the larger hydrangea leaves quite well.

As mentioned you are going to want to be cognizant of plants that utilize some of the same growing requirements. Hydrangeas need full sun and some shade in the afternoon with adequate irrigation so any plants that you put next to the hydrangea should be something that is either tall enough to provide afternoon shade for your hydrangea, or shaped such that its position doesn’t block morning sunlight access for the hydrangea.

Some gardeners prefer things like dogwood trees next to their hydrangeas so that they can provide afternoon shade. Lower plants also make wonderful companions such as perennials. If you pick lower plants to be the companion make sure that they’re tolerant of shade because most of the plant will likely be covered by the hydrangea.

There are things like foxgloves that will grow very tall stalks and can be perfect for lining a flower bed around a hydrangea and you can find them in many different colors.

Image by Mahnoor Qadri from Pixabay