Tuff Stuff Ah - Ha® Hydrangea

Need a petite pop of color to polish up your undemanding landscaping plan? The answer is... always!

No matter how big or small your space might be, you'll find room for the outstanding flowers of the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha® Hydrangea bush (Hydrangea serrata TUFF STUFF Ah Ha® 'SMNHSDD') will constantly show blooms from late spring into fall! This Mountain Hydrangea is a prolific producer of enormous, flat-topped blooms composed of many double florets. Just one lacecap cluster will nearly fill your hand and grace a bouquet!

These delicate double blooms look just like painted porcelain! Use them as spectacular cut flowers, or enjoy them in your garden setting as they fill with butterflies. Thick, bold foliage is dark green and features finely serrated edges. Its steady strength makes a marvelous contrast to the delicacy of the blooms. And you’ll enjoy wave after wave of bloom as these develop on both new and old wood! Even when not in bloom, you'll be delighted with these compact shrubs! Gain a brilliant fall color display when the leaves turn burgundy-red-purple in autumn.

Like other Mountain Hydrangeas, the color of the florets is determined by your soil pH. You can have bright pastel-pink, rich sky-blue, or any color on the spectrum between the two, depending on your soil. Change the pH to change the flower color. Hydrangea is also surprisingly versatile in many garden applications. You'll get charming season-long color, great form, and outstanding fall color. This high-impact small plant is a wonderful value! Even beginners will have success with this field-tested selection from Proven Winners®.

How To Use Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha® Hydrangea in the Landscape

Although they will tolerate full sun in Northern climates, Ah-Ha® needs partial shade everywhere else. Try them on the east side of your house, or skirting taller trees and shrubs as facer plants. Add a long border that emboldens your foundation with impressive color! You'll pump up your curb appeal in a single step! For a continuous ribbon of blooms, plant them 18 to 24 inches apart on center. You'll measure from the center of one to the center of the next.

These tidy mounding shrubs look incredible in front of larger Hydrangea varieties, too. Mix and match your favorites from all of our extensive options for a grand, easy-care landscape. Incorporate Ah-Ha® into your mixed borders, or create a low, informal hedge. You can even place them in large outdoor containers if you want to elevate the lovely blooms closer to eye level. Try a pair of containers flanking either side of your front door. Pop one under an old evergreen tree to boost the color saturation.

Look for opportunities to make your guests smile. Could you use one or more at your garden gate? Or tuck it behind a fun garden sculpture to heighten the impact. Oh, and by the way...this desirable shrub makes a perfect gift for a plant lover!

• Pink or Blue Double Blooms - Color Depends On Soil pH
• Dark Green, Finely Serrated Foliage
• Gorgeous Burgundy Fall Color
• Petite Plant for Small Space Gardens, Containers, Hedges & Gifts
• Massive, Dinner-Plate-Sized Blooms - Each Floret Features a Double Set of Petals

#ProPlantTips for Care

Plant Tuff Stuff Hydrangeas in full sun in cooler climates, but give them partial shade where summers get hot. They require at least four hours of direct sunlight a day, and the morning sun is preferred. Be prepared to give them a consistent schedule of even moisture during summer heat too. Place a three-inch layer of mulch over the roots to keep the plant nice and cool. There is blessedly no need to trim the stems. However, you can easily deadhead the spent blooms just below the large flower heads, for a trim and tidy look.

They need well-drained soil but are adaptable to either acidic or slightly alkaline soil. You can expect to see bluer blossoms in the lower pH of acidic soil, and pink in the higher pH of neutral to alkaline. Color changes can occur due to the soil pH over time using garden Sulphur for blue. Try garden lime for pink blooms. Be patient with your experiment, and get an inexpensive soil tester to ensure you don't overdo it.

• Full Sun and Partial Shade
• Moderately Moist Soil and Loves Mulch
• Very Easy Care - Salt and Alkaline Soil Tolerant
• Very Limited Pruning Required - Blooms on Both New and Old Wood
• Reblooms Prolifically from Late Spring Through Summer and Into Fall

Relish the compliments you'll receive from your Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha® Hydrangea plantings! Go ahead and feel like a genius for finding this superb selection. Order yours at NatureHills.com today!