Proven Winners® Cityline® Rio Bigleaf Hydrangea

Cityline® Rio Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla CITYLINE Rio 'Ragra') by Proven Winners®, is a small, ornamental shrub with magnificent flowers. Rio Hydrangea is a small plant that knows how to draw attention and become an exceptional visual standout in your landscape!

This great new Bigleaf Hydrangea from the ColorChoice® series from Germany has tight, compact growth and large flowers that bloom in early summer, then last through until fall. The strong stems can easily handle the large heavy, blue to purple variegated flowers that transform to a greenish hue with maturity.

Hardy throughout USDA growing zones 5 to 9, they tolerate heat but not full sun in the warmer of their favored growing zone range. As with most Bigleaf Hydrangeas, flower color can be manipulated with a few simple additions to adjust the pH of the soil. For blue flowers, the soil must be more acidic and for pink flowers, your soil must lean toward alkaline, make adjustments to the soil pH as necessary to achieve the color you desire, but major changes to bloom color can take time.

Planting and Application:

Deciduous Bigleaf Hydrangeas are great for low hedges and property division! Growing to a demure 2-4 feet mature height and spread, smaller shrubs are great for including in mixed-shrub borders and as backdrops to smaller perennials. Include Rio among Roses for a classic and romantic pairing! Try with Blue Girl Hybrid Tea Rose for a pretty pairing!

Use them in stylish pots or as part of a front of the garden border planting. Or use Rio as a single smaller specimen in a large upscale mixed planter. You can also include Rio among formal plantings on your porch or patio! This smaller-sized shrub is perfect for container gardening and small space landscaping!

The mophead blossoms, comprised of clusters of tiny florets, are a huge draw for pollinators! Include among butterfly gardens, and update a tired cottage border with these uniquely hued shrubs.

• Outstanding Blue-Purple & Green Mopheads
• Strong Branches & Rounded Shape
• Great in Containers & As Cut Flowers
• Smaller Size & Great Small-Space Gardening & Container Ornamental
• Low Definition, Cottage Gardens, Beds & Borders

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Tolerating full sun only in cooler climates and needing partial shade in hot growing zones, Hydrangea favor morning sun and afternoon shade in any setting. Hydrangeas do best when planted in moist, organic well-drained soil.

Bigleaf Hydrangea bloom on last year's wood, so it's best to prune if needed, and only in the early spring to remove stems that died back in the winter. You can also use renewal pruning to remove the older stems is done to keep the plants vigorous and healthy. This is because 1, 2, and 3 year old branches are the best for flowering and older stems should be cut out to the ground in early spring when removing the old blooms and damaged branch tips.

The bloom color can be changed by adding aluminum sulfate, or using lime to intensify the deep colors of the flowers. Cityline® Rio Hydrangea is a tough little plant and even mildew resistant!

• Partial Shade (Handles Full Sun Only In Cooler Zones)
• Moist To Average Moisture & Mulch
• Almost Any Well-Drained Soil
• Color of Bloom is pH-Dependent
• Powdery Mildew Resistant

The bold Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Cityline® Rio Bigleaf Hydrangea is a stunning plant for your yard and will look impressive on your kitchen table as a cut flower as well! You can't go wrong with a Rio Hydrangeas for durability and the strength to support its impressive, massive flowers. Get even more support by ordering your next landscape additions from the experts at NatureHills.com!