What’s wrong with my hydrangea - Ask Extension
The snow melted off my front landscaping and I noticed the branches in 2 of my hydrangea bushes were lying flat to the ground. When I looked more clo...
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What’s wrong with my hydrangea #784096
Asked March 15, 2022, 4:28 PM EDT
The snow melted off my front landscaping and I noticed the branches in 2 of my hydrangea bushes were lying flat to the ground. When I looked more closely whole clump of branches was no longer attached to roots. See photos.
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Thank you for writing.
Your hydrangea is most unhappy. First, it does not appreciate having its bark gnawed off by critters. Hydrangeas are not their first choice but when the snow gets deep anything will do.
Generally, hydrangea shrubs (unlike hydrangea trees are not grafted). For you this is a good thing because you can see what grows back the original roots.
The worst cases scenario is that you had critters AND root rot (a fungal infection of the base of the hydrangea, Overwatering makes this more likely. https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/hydrangea-root-rot
If nothing comes back, plant new bushes. My guess is that it is too close to the house. Depending on the variety hydrangeas grow four to ten feet in diameter which means that the plant should be 2 to 5 feet from the house.
I hope this helps
Your hydrangea is most unhappy. First, it does not appreciate having its bark gnawed off by critters. Hydrangeas are not their first choice but when the snow gets deep anything will do.
Generally, hydrangea shrubs (unlike hydrangea trees are not grafted). For you this is a good thing because you can see what grows back the original roots.
The worst cases scenario is that you had critters AND root rot (a fungal infection of the base of the hydrangea, Overwatering makes this more likely. https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/hydrangea-root-rot
If nothing comes back, plant new bushes. My guess is that it is too close to the house. Depending on the variety hydrangeas grow four to ten feet in diameter which means that the plant should be 2 to 5 feet from the house.
I hope this helps
