Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Feature Shrub: Hydrangea Fire Light Tidbit-Compact, Long-Blooming and Fabulous!

This Month in the Garden
Welcome to This Month in the Garden! There's a new hydrangea in town and it's the tiniest panicle hydrangea yet! Developed by the growers at Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs, this new dwarf cultivar, Hydrangea, Fire Light Tidbit, reaches a size of just 2-3' tall by wide! Hardy in USDA zones 3-8, 'Fire Light Tidbit' produces large, lush panicles of white mophead flowers from mid summer to fall on a compact plant that can fit into the smallest of spaces!

Hydrangea Fire Light Tidbit Mid-Summer

Initially, lime green blooms mature and turn to white. As the summer progresses, blooms begin to develop bright pinkish-red tones near the end of August, which keep the interest coming right on up until the first frost.
Hydrangea Fire Light Tidbit Late Summer (Photo Credit: Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs)
Another special attribute is that this new cultivar produces an array of colorful autumn foliage, an unusual trait in panicle hydrangeas. Stems are sturdy, creating a neat, mounded shrub that's a perfect fit in foundation plantings, flower gardens, landscape borders and even containers!
Hydrangea Fire Light Tidbit Fall Foliage (Photo Credit: Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs)
PLANTING & MAINTENANCE: Plant this cultivar in full sun to part shade in a moderately moist, well-drained soil. Blooms of the upcoming season form on new wood, so pruning can be performed by cutting back the main branches by one-third in late winter or early spring. Pruning can also be performed in late fall, once the plant has gone completely dormant. To encourage robust blooms and a healthy plant, it is recommended to feed your hydrangea in early spring using a slow release granular fertilizer. 
Hydrangea Size Comparison Chart (Photo Credit: Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs)

I have this hydrangea growing in my garden and it was love at first sight! As a designer, I am always looking for new cultivars that are compact, colorful and low maintenance, and this shrub has it all.

I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden for September. Be sure to stop by on the 1st. and 15th. of each month as I continue to share gardening tips, information and horticultural adventures! (Linking with: Floral FridaysMacro Monday 2Ruby Tuesday and Image-in-ing Weekly Photo Link-Up.

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Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

16 comments:

  1. Beautiful blooms!
    Unfortunately the drought her seems to have seriously curtailed the growth of most everything but weeks. They seem quite healthy.
    Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2021/08/smells-good-in-kitchen.html

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    1. Hope you get some rain soon. We have had the opposite here on the east coast-frequent rain showers every few days it seems.

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  2. I love hydrangeas with blooms that change color through the season. In my garden, Pinkie Winkie is my favorite. Fire Light Tidbit sounds delightful. P. x

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    1. Yes...I believe you would like that one! I love your gardens and the names you have given them as each one has a special meaning. Your post makes me want to sit right there in that Serenity Garden and not leave for hours!

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  3. Lee, there are so many new varieties of plants it's hard to keep up. I appreciate your review of this pretty hydrangea. It's nice to get tried and true testimony. I pinned this. One never knows when there might be a garden needing some help or knowledge to share!

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    1. This one is a keeper Rita, especially for its compact size and long blooms!

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  4. I have that hydrangea and just love it.

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  5. Wow, those Hydrangeas are beautiful! Thanks for the chart for comparison. I have two H. shrubs...I can't remember which varieties; I'll have to check. I really like them both, but they need LOADS of water, so they aren't as happy in dry years like this summer. Good we're getting some rain now.

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    1. You are welcome. The chart is from Proven Winners and all so helpful when comparing the different varieties. I figured it many be useful!

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  6. I love hydrangea as well, Lee. Yours is beautiful, looks fantastic.

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    1. Thank you Nadezda. I hope to get many years of enjoyment out of it and to use it in my client's gardens!

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  7. Those are some positively stunning hydrangeas!
    Thanks so much for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2021/09/going-buggy-in-our-yard.html

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