Lacecap Hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla

(Thunb.) Ser. Species

Hydrangea macrophylla
Frank Ashwood via iNaturalist — CC BY 4.0
Hydrangea macrophylla photograph 1 Hydrangea macrophylla photograph 2 Hydrangea macrophylla photograph 3 Hydrangea macrophylla photograph 4 Hydrangea macrophylla photograph 5 Hydrangea macrophylla photograph 6
Botanical name
Hydrangea macrophylla
Also known as
Hortensia, Hydrangea, Lacecap Hydrangea
Family
Hydrangeaceae
Genus
Hydrangea
Flowering period
July to September
Height
100–200 cm
Spread
100–250 cm
Hardiness
Fully hardy (RHS H5)
Reference
World Flora Online

How to grow Lacecap Hydrangea

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team Last reviewed 21 July 2026 Written for UK gardens How we research our guidance

Sunlight
Partial shade; morning sun with afternoon shade suits it best
Watering
High; it wilts quickly and needs consistent moisture
Soil
Moist, humus-rich, well-drained
Soil pH
Acid to neutral; pH controls flower colour in mophead and laceca

Planting

Plant in autumn or spring with plenty of organic matter worked in. Avoid dry positions under house eaves or in the root zone of large trees — this plant does not tolerate drought, and the name reflects that.

Pruning

Leave the faded heads on over winter; they protect the buds below. Cut back to the first fat pair of buds in early spring, and take out a couple of the oldest stems at the base each year to keep it renewing.

Propagation

Softwood cuttings in early summer root easily. Take non-flowering shoots and keep them humid until rooted.

Pests and diseases

Vine weevil is a real problem in containers, the grubs eating the roots unseen. Powdery mildew and leaf spot appear in dry or crowded conditions.

Value to wildlife

Lacecap forms have fertile florets in the centre that insects can actually use; mopheads are largely sterile and of little value to pollinators.

Notes

Blue flowers need acid soil and available aluminium. On chalk you can add a colourant, but the honest answer is that it will drift back towards pink and you are better off growing it in a container of ericaceous compost.

Some structured details on this page (such as tolerances, pH and hardiness) come from USDA PLANTS Database (public domain). The written guidance is GardenDecoded's own, researched as described in our editorial policy.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Hydrangea macrophylla but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Hortensia japonica Hortensia macrophylla Hortensia macrophylla f. isobue Hortensia macrophylla f. isonotaki Hortensia macrophylla f. normalis Hortensia mutabilis Hortensia nigra Hortensia opuloides Hortensia rosea Hortensia speciosa Hydrangea azisai Hydrangea azisai var. foliis-aureovariegatis Hydrangea cyanoclada Hydrangea florida Hydrangea hortensia Hydrangea hortensia f. otaksa Hydrangea hortensia f. rosea Hydrangea hortensia f. variegata Hydrangea hortensia var. azisai Hydrangea hortensia var. macrosepala Hydrangea hortensia var. maculata Hydrangea hortensia var. mariesii Hydrangea hortensia var. otaksa Hydrangea hortensia var. rosea Hydrangea hortensis Hydrangea hortensis var. alba Hydrangea hortensis var. maculata Hydrangea hortensis var. mariesii Hydrangea japonica f. hortensia Hydrangea japonica unranked fimbriata-macrophylla Hydrangea japonica unranked speciosa Hydrangea japonica unranked variegata Hydrangea japonica var. albovariegatis Hydrangea japonica var. coerulescens Hydrangea japonica var. foliis-variegatis Hydrangea japonica var. macrosepala Hydrangea japonica var. otaksa Hydrangea japonica var. plena Hydrangea japonica var. variegata Hydrangea macrocephala Hydrangea macrophylla f. azisai Hydrangea macrophylla f. caesia Hydrangea macrophylla f. hortensia Hydrangea macrophylla f. isobue Hydrangea macrophylla f. isonotaki Hydrangea macrophylla f. leucantha Hydrangea macrophylla f. macrosepala Hydrangea macrophylla f. maculata Hydrangea macrophylla f. mandschurica Hydrangea macrophylla f. mariesii Hydrangea macrophylla f. normalis Hydrangea macrophylla f. nuda Hydrangea macrophylla f. otaksa Hydrangea macrophylla f. veitchii Hydrangea macrophylla var. hattoriana Hydrangea macrophylla var. hortensis Hydrangea macrophylla var. macrophylla Hydrangea macrophylla var. normalis Hydrangea macrophylla var. otaksa Hydrangea mandshurica and 19 more

Others in Hydrangea

Hydrangea caerulea
Hydrangea acuminata subsp. acuminata
Hydrangea acuminata subsp. yakushimensis
Hydrangea albostellata
Hydrangea amamiohsimensis
Hydrangea ampla
Hydrangea arborescens
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata
Panicle Hydrangea

GardenDecoded is an educational gardening reference. Botanical data comes from World Flora Online and GBIF; growing guidance is our own. Always check a plant's toxicity and local invasiveness status before planting, and never eat or apply a plant based on this site alone.