Grateful Red Hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla 'McKRed'

$99⁹⁹

In Stock
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Plant Size

#3 Container

Product variants

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Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.

This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.

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Delivery and Shipping

Shipping

To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.

Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.

*If you have found your zone already, it will be highlighted in the table below.

Standard Shipping Rates

At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.

From	To	S&H
$0	$19.99	$24.99
$20	$49.99	$29.99
$50	$69.99	$34.99
$70	$99.99	$39.99
$100	$129.99	$44.99
$130	$149.99	$48.99
$150	$150+	Approx 28%

Click here to see our full rates

Understanding Plant Options

Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:

Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements

Container Plant Sizes

Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.

Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2" x 2" x 3"	0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts	0.20 - 0.23 dry liters
4" Container	0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts	0.35 - 0.96 dry liters
4.5" Container	0.65 dry quarts	0.72 dry liters
6" Container	1.4 dry quarts	1.59 dry liters
1 Quart	1 dry quart	1.1 dry liters
5.5" Container	1.89 dry quarts	2.08 dry liters

Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2 Quart	2 dry quarts	2.2 dry liters
#1 Container	2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts	2.49 - 4.11 dry liters
5" x 5" x 12"	3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts	3.85 - 4.74 dry liters

Mature Plants (2-4 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#2 Container	1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons	5.24 - 7.75 dry liters
#3 Container	2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons	8.14 - 12.16 dry liters

Large Plants (3-5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#5 Container	2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons	12.86 - 20.35 dry liters
#6 Container	5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons	23.12 - 26.42 dry liters
#7 Container	5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons	26.34 - 28.76 dry liters

Bare Root Plants

Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.

Common Sizes:

Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet

Important Notes

Container Volume Specifications

Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents

Growing Conditions

Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment

Seasonal Availability

Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
Container plants are available throughout the growing season
Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes

Questions?

For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.

Plant Highlights

Grateful Red Hydrangea highlights at a glance!

Specifications

Brand

Nature Hills' Choice
Botanical Name

Hydrangea macrophylla 'McKRed'
Growing Zones

4-9
Mature Height

3 - 4 feet
Mature Spread

2 - 3 feet
Sun Exposure

Full Sun
Moisture

Moderate
Soil

Adaptable
Growth Rate

Fast, Medium
Flower Color

Red
Fall Color

Burgundy / Purple
Pollinator Friendly

Yes
Pruning Time

Early Spring
Bloom Period

Summer, Fall

Growing Zones 4-9

Find Your Growing Zone!

Nature Hills is proud to present this beautiful RED Hydrangea! Grateful Red® Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'McKRed') is an introduction from Wisconsin's McKay Nursery. It has all of the characteristics of your favorite garden Hydrangeas - big leaves and even bigger blooms coming all summer long. It will even bloom well in partial shade.

Growing into an upright oval 3-4 foot mature height and 2-3 feet width and filling out with handsome, textured green foliage with delightful toothy edges. Having the strongest stems in full sun, you'll enjoy the mophead blooms that form into scarlet red balls of smaller 4-petaled blossoms that pollinators adore! These deciduous woody shrubs are low maintenance and very easy to care for! A single bloom can fill out your entire vase and brighten bouquets as thrillers and focal points!

Grateful Red® is very brilliantly colored red in regular neutral pH and at a lower pH, you will get lavender flowers. With alkaline soils, the flowers are a deep pink verging on red that is unlike any other Hydrangea on the market. As autumn approaches the flowers turn a velvety lavender color that is eye-catching with the purple tint of the leaves. In acidic soils, the flower will be of a darker purple color.

Planting and Application:

The Grateful Red® Hydrangea will be the star of the sunnier or part shade area in your yard. Plant it where you can enjoy its unique coloration often as you walk by it. Make sure that you can reach it to cut the red blooms, too, because it will provide you with armfuls of flowers for your vases all season.

The unique red flowers will blend well with white, blues, and yellows in your landscape. This plant will receive a lot of attention and make a perfect focal point. The east side of a home is the absolute best... protection from afternoon heat but even in full sun as long as you keep it watered it will do beautifully in most parts of the country! Use as great foundation plantings and highlights throughout the landscape!

Totally Unique Scarlet Red Flowers
Faster Rounded Growth
Handsome Textured Green Foliage
Easy-to-Grow Pollinator-Friendly Flowers
Only Available Online!

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Flowering the best and growing the strongest growth in full sun and partial shade, favoring morning sun and afternoon shade in the hottest of the USDA growing zones 4-9. Plant Hydrangea in moderate, and consistent moisture and enriched organic soil. Bigleaf Hydrangea blooms on new wood and almost all stems have a flower which is the amazing thing about this plant! Wait to see if any pruning needs to be done, then only remove any dead branch tips and only trim to remove the old flower heads as they begin to grow in spring. As the plants age, it is best to remove a few of the oldest fattest canes out to the ground leaving in some younger stems for best bloom. Old blooms can be removed in fall or spring.

Full Sun & Partial Shade
Moderately Moist Enriched Soil
Highly Adaptable
Prune Bigleaf Hydrangea After Flowering
Blooms on New Wood

Remember that you can't buy Grateful Red® Hydrangea in any garden center, so make sure to reserve a few today before we run out of stock! This is a bestseller that is bound to be a superstar in your garden this year!

Gorgeous big blooms are stunning

We bought three of the red hydrangeas and they came the beginning of summer and took off immediately when planted. They like a fair amount of water here in Colorado but are doing fantastic. I could not be more pleased. Hope they make it through winter but I believe they will. Very very healthy plants.

Dear Karen,

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience with your red hydrangeas! We’re thrilled to hear they made such a strong and healthy start, especially under Colorado's climate. It sounds like your attentive watering routine is really paying off, and it’s great to know your plants are flourishing with those gorgeous blooms.

As the colder months approach, you might find it helpful to protect your hydrangeas by adding a layer of mulch around the base to help insulate the roots from harsh winter temperatures. Additionally, if you expect particularly harsh weather, consider covering them with breathable garden fabric overnight. We’re confident that with your careful care, these beautiful plants will thrive for many seasons to come.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any other questions or updates—you’re always welcome here at Nature Hills!

Bloom on,
The Nature Hills Plant Knowledge Team

Gorgeous big blooms are stunning

Hello Karen,

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience with your red hydrangeas! We’re delighted to hear that they took off so quickly after planting and are thriving in Colorado’s climate. Your attention to their watering needs clearly shows—in return, your beautiful, healthy blooms are a fantastic reward! Hydrangeas truly shine when given consistent moisture, especially in drier areas, and it's great to know you’re seeing such great success.

Regarding your concerns about winter, red hydrangeas can indeed be quite resilient. To help them flourish through the colder months, consider mulching around the base to protect their roots from frost, and perhaps lightly covering the shrubs if particularly harsh temperatures are predicted. If you'd like, we also have helpful winter care tips on our site to guide you step-by-step.

Thanks again for letting us be part of your beautiful garden journey—and please don’t hesitate to reach out whenever you need plant care advice or support!

Bloom on,
The Nature Hills Plant Knowledge Team

Grateful Red is the bomb

I tend to be a spend thrift and wait for mark downs in the plant department but i must say - you just cant get plants like this cheap. The most full lush and green and had about 16 blooms on it when it arrived. You definitely get what you pay for here-great packaging and the best plants ever. Mine is a deeep pink but not red red but i may try to work on that with additives.

Dear Barbara,

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtful and enthusiastic feedback! We’re delighted to hear that your Grateful Red arrived full, lush, and blooming—it's always a real joy to know our plants exceeded your expectations. You’ve nailed it: investing in quality plants truly makes all the difference, and we’re glad you experienced it firsthand.

As for enhancing the deep pink hue towards the red spectrum, experimenting with additives is a fun and rewarding journey! Providing your plant with the right balance of nutrients, especially phosphorus and potassium, along with ample sunlight, can encourage more vibrant blooms. If you’d like, we can also recommend some favorite soil amendments or bloom boosters customized for your Grateful Red.

Thank you again for trusting Nature Hills to bring beauty into your garden. Should you have more questions or need any advice, we're just a message away!

Wishing you happy planting,
The Nature Hills Plant Experts

Grateful Red is the bomb

Dear Barbara,

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience with the Grateful Red! We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that the plant arrived lush, full, and blooming beautifully. You're absolutely right—investing in quality plants can make all the difference, and it sounds like your Grateful Red is flourishing as it was meant to!

Regarding the shade of pink, experimenting with growing conditions and additives can definitely influence bloom intensity and coloration. To help, we recommend maintaining consistent sunlight, appropriate watering, and perhaps consulting some of our care guides for specific nutrients that support vibrant blooms. If you'd like, we’d be happy to send you tailored advice on additives to help achieve that deeper red you desire.

Thanks again for your trust and support—your garden’s success is our greatest reward.

Wishing you happy planting,
The Nature Hills Plant Experts

The hydrangea had grown. It

The hydrangea had grown. It did not produce any blooms or flowers. That was very disappointing. The plant looks very healthy. No hint of bloom. We watered and fertilized it.

Hello Gary D.,

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with your hydrangea. We’re glad to hear your plant looks healthy, but we understand how disappointing it can be when blooms don’t show up despite your attentive care. Hydrangeas sometimes need the right conditions to flower, such as proper pruning season and optimum sunlight—most varieties prefer partial sun, usually around 4-6 hours daily. Also, heavy fertilization with too much nitrogen can promote leaf growth but impede blooming, so a balanced fertilizer or one formulated for flowering plants might help encourage blooms.

If you'd like, we’re happy to provide specific care guides tailored to your hydrangea variety or to help troubleshoot further. Your dedication really shows, and with the right tweaks, we hope you’ll enjoy those beautiful blooms soon!

Wishing you happy planting,
The Nature Hills Plant Experts

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Grateful Red Hydrangea

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Delivery and Shipping

Shipping

Standard Shipping Rates