Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea is available at garden centers and online nurseries specializing in premium shrubs. This First Editions® cultivar thrives in zones 5-9 and reaches 3-5 feet tall. Look for the 'Bailmacseven' variety name to ensure you're getting the authentic dark-foliaged Eclipse®.

First Editions®

Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea

Name: Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea
Brand: First Editions
SKU: 22994E
Price: 24.66 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.33 (9 reviews)

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmacseven'

Dramatic Dark Purple-Black Foliage Makes Cranberry-Red Blooms Pop All Season
Thrives in Zones 5-9
Showy Purple, Red Blooms From Early Summer to Early Fall
Top Pick for Privacy Screen or Hedge
Pollinator-Friendly Shrub

$24⁶⁶

Shipping calculated at checkout.

In Stock

Enter your ZIP code to check shipping availability.

Quart bundle‹ Shop all quarts

0 in your cart Add 4 more to fill your box and save 5%

Plant Size

Quart Container #2 Container #3 Container

Product variants

Understanding Our Container Sizes

At Nature Hills, our plants are sold in industry-standard nursery containers. You will notice we use the word "container" rather than "gallon." Container numbers follow a nursery trade size standard, not liquid volume. The number tells you the plant's size category and general maturity level. A larger container means a more established plant with a stronger root system.

Container Sizes

Quart

Plant age: 6 months to 1 year
Best for: Ground covers, perennials, ornamental grasses
What to expect: Our smallest and most affordable size. Well-suited for planting in multiples across a large area. Allow 1 to 2 seasons for full establishment.

#1 Container

Plant age: 1 to 2 years
Best for: Shrubs, perennials, smaller trees
What to expect: About the size of a large coffee can. A well-developed root system in a manageable size. Good value choice when you have time to let the plant grow into the space over a season or two.

#2 Container

Plant age: 2 to 3 years
Best for: Shrubs and trees where you want faster establishment
What to expect: A noticeable step up from a #1 in both plant size and root development. Good choice when you want visible presence without going to a larger size.

#3 Container

Plant age: 3 to 4 years
Best for: Most plants, most situations — flowering trees, shade trees, evergreen shrubs
What to expect: Our most popular size. Strong, developed root system. Plants in a #3 container make an immediate visual impact from day one. If you want a head start rather than waiting seasons for a plant to fill in, this is typically the right choice.

#5 Container and Larger

Plant age: 4 to 5+ years
Best for: Specimen plants, privacy screens, maximum instant impact
What to expect: Large, mature plants ready to make an immediate statement in your landscape. We also carry #7 and larger sizes for select varieties.

Why "Container" and Not "Gallon"?

Nursery container sizes follow an industry trade standard established for the nursery and horticulture industry. The number is a size designation, not a measurement of liquid volume. Actual soil volume varies by plant type, root mass, and growing medium. Using "container" is the accurate industry term. When you see #1, #2, or #3, think of it as the plant's size tier, not a gallon measurement.

Root Pouch Containers

Some Nature Hills plants arrive in a Root Pouch, a breathable fabric container made from 100% recycled materials. Root Pouches encourage denser root development through air pruning, which discourages root circling and promotes a stronger, more fibrous root ball at the time of planting.

Plants growing in Root Pouch fabric containers, showing the breathable woven fabric construction

There are two types. Knowing which one you have changes how you plant:

Degradable (brown or tan fabric): Plant the entire pouch directly in the ground. The fabric breaks down naturally in the soil over time.
Non-degradable (black or gray fabric): Remove the pouch before planting. Cut the bottom open with scissors, then peel the sides away. The fibrous root ball will hold its shape.

Not sure which type you have? Check the tag on your plant or contact us and we will confirm.

Full Root Pouch planting guide

Choosing the Right Size

Size	Plant Age	Best For
Quart	6 mo to 1 yr	Ground covers, perennials, grasses. Budget-friendly for mass plantings.
#1 Container	1 to 2 yrs	Shrubs, perennials, small trees. Value choice for patient gardeners.
#2 Container	2 to 3 yrs	Shrubs and trees where you want faster establishment.
#3 Container	3 to 4 yrs	Most plants. Immediate visual impact. Our most popular size.
#5 and larger	4+ yrs	Specimen plants, privacy screens, maximum instant impact.

Still not sure which size is right for your project? Our plant specialists are happy to help. Contact us and we will point you in the right direction.

Plant specifications
Plant Characteristics	Attracts pollinators, Cold hardy, Flowering, Fragrant, Drought resistant
Hardiness Zone	6a to 11b
Sunlight	Full sun, Partial shade
Height	3-5 ft
Width	3-5 ft
Watering Needs	High
Preferred Soil	Clay, Loamy, Peaty, Sandy
Growth Rate	Moderate
Growth Habit	Bushy, Upright
Blooms In	Fall, Summer
Flower Color	Purple, Red
Foliage Color	Green
Pet Safety	Toxic to pets
Suitable Space	Outdoors
Plant Name	Hydrangea
Botanical Name	Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmacseven'
Species	macrophylla
Cultivar	Bailmacseven
Class	Magnoliopsida, Cornales
Does Not Ship To	AK, HI, ID, MT, PR

Big bi-color blooms and drama-inducing near-black leaves, the incredible First Editions® Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmacseven') features incredible bright cranberry-red edges that feather into the creamy white centers! These blooms remain on the plant all growing season and deepen in color before becoming a lovely buff dried seedhead as the bracts remain showy until fall and even through the winter months!

Eclipse® is unique in that it has dark deep purple-black foliage that highlights these magnificent blooms! Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea has lovely crinkled, quilted leaves with a toothy edge, remaining the deep green coloration all growing season long without fail! Staying color-fast until the fall! The sturdy stems hold these mophead blooms aloft over those dark leaves.

Bigleaf Hydrangea are gorgeous deciduous shrubs that are color-changing based on pH, growing 3-5 feet in height and width. Eclipse® is hardy and colorfast throughout USDA growing zones 5 to 9 and is very easy to grow. This cultivar is sterile and you will have no worries about self-seeding.

Planting and Application:

Eclipse® Hydrangea looks fantastic in the landscape! It is a must-have specimen plant and yearns for the spotlight! Try planting in highly prominent locations like by your front steps or front door, on either side of your driveway entrance, or as sentries before the start of a path leading to your backyard! The dark foliage and outstanding blooms light up garden borders, backdrops, foundation plantings, and privacy hedges!

These flowering ornamentals and their dark foliage look incredible in the cottage and Rose garden, adding intensity to formal plantings and beds, highlighting smaller plants around them, or in the opposite of a Moon garden! Try making a brooding Gothic garden bed filled with Eclipse® and other purple and near-black foliage plants, and burgundy and purple flowers!

The flowers are incredible as cut flowers and will become a highlight of your floral bouquets. Be sure to include some of that dramatic foliage! You can even preserve them! Let the mopheads dry on the shrub in the fall, becoming their botanical tan, then add them to dried décor and crafts! Plant a few extra shrubs in groups and rows to attract pollinators, giving both you and your butterflies plenty of these glorious flowers to play with!

Incredibly Round Mopheads of Red & Cream Blooms
Dramatic Dark Purple to Near-Black Foliage!
Colorfast Leaves All Growing Season!
Mid-Sized Full, Round Form
Great Cut Flowers & Pollinator-Friendly
Intense Coloration For Hedges, Specimens, Garden Backdrops & Accents!

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Bigleaf Hydrangea flowers the best in full sun and partial shade, doing best in more sun for the largest blooms in colder climates. But in the hottest of its preferred hardiness zones, plant in a location with afternoon shade or all-day dappled shade. Plant in enriched, highly organic well-drained soil that is consistently, yet moderately moist throughout the growing season. Hydrangea loves a 3-4 inch thick layer of arborist mulch around the root system, pulled back away from the stems and crown.

Bigleaf Hydrangea is pH sensitive, so for the reddest flowers you need neutral to alkaline soil, but in very acidic conditions, you'll see your blooms turn a darker purple hue! It can take years, but if you prefer the purple-on-purple look, add peat moss to your soil, and for red, add garden lime.

Macrophylla should be pruned in the very early spring just as you see the new buds beginning to swell. This way you can tell where winter dieback and living stem material meet and know where to prune. Remove an even one-third of the overall growth to create a rounded form and even growth. Every 3-5 years, it's recommended to perform renewal pruning by removing a third of the oldest, fattest stems out from the ground, leaving behind the youngest, most vigorous growth.

Full Sun & Some Partial Shade
Enriched Well-Drained Soil
Appreciates Regular Moisture & Mulched Beds
Prune Early Spring
Sterile Seedless Cultivar

The First Editions® Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea will add its magnificent coloration to your landscape, but only if you order today! This is a new offering that we're sure none of your neighbors will have this year, so be a trendsetter and drop an Eclipse® in your Nature Hills shopping cart today!

Explore More from Nature Hills

The Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea joins our impressive collection of first editions® shrubs and trees and pairs beautifully with other flowering shrubs to create layered garden displays. For complete success with your new hydrangea, explore our guide on How to Plant Hydrangea Shrubs and learn the proper Timing for Pruning Flowering Shrubs to maintain healthy growth and abundant blooms. Browse our full selection of hydrangea shrubs to discover companion varieties that will extend your flowering season.

Other Hydrangea varieties

Limelight Panicle Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'

Up to 25% off

(57)

Sale price From $77⁷⁵ Regular price $103⁶⁶
Vanilla Strawberry™ Panicle Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata 'Renhy'

(82)

Regular price From $27⁸¹
Endless Summer® The Original Bigleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer'

(17)

Regular price From $65¹⁰
Endless Summer® BloomStruck® Bigleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla 'PIIHM-II'

(13)

Regular price From $23⁴⁹
Endless Summer® Summer Crush® Bigleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmacfive'

(17)

Regular price From $19⁹⁹
Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia 'Ruby Slippers'

(20)

Regular price From $28⁰⁴
Incrediball® Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens INCREDIBALL 'Abetwo'

(12)

Regular price From $48²⁹
Strawberry Sundae® Panicle Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata 'Rensun'

(12)

Regular price $66¹⁹

Some of the reviews shown are from related products the merchant grouped with this one.

Wee Bit Hydrangea

So far so good. Be nice if they could bloom before fall. Hopefully.

Wee Bit Innocent is a reliable re-bloomer, so even if the first flush is late in the season, it should come back strong each year as it settles in. A little patience in year one usually pays off well with hydrangeas. Thanks for planting one, Karin, and we hope you get some blooms to enjoy before the season wraps up.

Gorgeous! Caiuldnt be happier with my purchase - Very healthy and substantial size!

Gorgeous!

Bigleaf hydrangeas like Eclipse can really make a statement in the garden, and it sounds like this one arrived ready to hit the ground running. If you want big, bold blooms, keep the soil consistently moist and give it some afternoon shade in hotter climates. Thanks for sharing, Mary, we hope it puts on a great show for you this season.

Worst experience ever

Plant arrived dead. I’ve reached out multiple ways email, chat support, social media(they deleted my comment) it’s been over a week now so might as well just take this as a loss and never order from this company ever again. Google the reviews. Search Facebook. Plenty of negative reviews saying this is a scam. I should have done more research on this company.

FEED THEM WITH ACIDIC LOVING FOOD!

YOU HAVE TO FEES THEM WITH !ACIDIC LOVING FOOD! LUKE MIRACLE GROW ACIDIC FOOD KNOW WHAT YOUR PLA TS NEEDS BEFORE YOU BUY@

Solid advice for Bigleaf Hydrangeas. Keeping the soil on the acidic side does more than just feed the plant. It also shifts the bloom color toward those deep blues and purples that make this variety so striking. Thanks for passing that tip along to fellow growers.

Nice healthy plant. Fast shipping.

Beautiful

Beautiful plant!!

Eclipse Bigleaf Hydrangea is a hard one not to love, so we're glad it's living up to its name for you. Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!

This plant came to me terribly damaged

This plant came to me terribly damaged, repotted only in peat, severely wilted, branches broken off, and repotted only in peat-not soil and much smaller than I had expected

Best packaging with ever

Best packaging with care

Hi Thomas! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We appreciate your kind words about our packaging and care. We strive to provide the best experience for our customers. Thank you for choosing our First Editions Eclipse Bigleaf Hydrangea. Happy Planting! - Nature Hills Customer Service

Frequently Asked Questions

What USDA hardiness zones is the Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea suitable for?

Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea thrives in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9. This cultivar maintains its distinctive dark foliage and vibrant blooms reliably across this range. Plant it in a prominent location where you can showcase its dramatic color contrast year-round.

Does the Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea prefer full sun, partial shade, or full shade?

Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea thrives in partial shade to partial sun conditions. Like most bigleaf hydrangeas, it performs best with morning sun and afternoon shade, especially in zones 7-9. Plant where it receives 4-6 hours of sunlight daily for optimal blooming and foliage color.

How often should I water my Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea and what are its moisture requirements?

Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangeas need consistent moisture but well-draining soil to prevent root rot. Water deeply 1-2 times weekly, providing about 1 inch total including rainfall. Check soil moisture 2 inches down and water when dry to the touch.

What are some good companion plants that pair well with Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea?

Eclipse® pairs beautifully with plants that complement its dark foliage and bi-color blooms. Try white or pale pink roses, chartreuse hostas, or silver-leafed plants like dusty miller for striking contrast. Purple foliage plants like Heuchera or Japanese maples create dramatic monochromatic schemes.

What are the most common diseases or pest problems with this hydrangea variety?

Eclipse® Hydrangea is generally disease-resistant but can develop powdery mildew in humid conditions and leaf spot if overhead watered. Aphids and spider mites occasionally appear on new growth. Ensure good air circulation and water at soil level to prevent most issues.

Should I prune my Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea and if so, when is the best time?

Prune Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Since it blooms on old wood, avoid heavy pruning that removes next year's flower buds. Simply deadhead spent blooms and remove any dead or damaged stems for best results.

Where to buy?

Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea is available at garden centers and online nurseries specializing in premium shrubs. This First Editions® cultivar thrives in zones 5-9 and reaches 3-5 feet tall. Look for the 'Bailmacseven' variety name to ensure you're getting the authentic dark-foliaged Eclipse®.

Under $50	$9.99
$50 - $99.99	$14.99
$100 - $149.99	$16.99
$150 - $198.99	$24.99
$199+	FREE

Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea