Hydrangea macrophylla Lemon Daddy

Plant name:Hydrangea macrophylla Lemon Daddy TM

Virtues: Even when it’s not in bloom this exciting hydrangea provides the shade garden with a shocking contrast of glowing lemon yellow. A sport of Big Daddy hydrangea, Lemon Daddy has polished vigor and quickly reaches four feet high by four feet wide, making a lovely accent plant for that special spot in the garden. Best of all, Lemon Daddy is easy to grow in the hot, humid summers of the Deep South and Midwest. Good soil is a must, but once established this hydrangea will prove to be a reliable performer with little need for special care. Lemon Daddy is the most robust yellow hydrangea to date with thick shiny leaves and is a great choice to lighten up a dark area of the garden.

Bloom color: Flower color depends on the pH of the soil. Blooms will be pink in alkaline soil and blue in acidic soil.

Leaf/Foliage: Glowing lemon yellow foliage.

Goes great with: Lemon Daddy goes great in dark, partially shady areas of the garden with Heuchera ‘Obsidian’, ‘Double Knock Out®’ Rose, Big Sky Series Echinacea, and combinations of Bring on the Heat and In the Shade varieties from Novalis Plants that Work.

Habit: Grows to four feet by four feet at when mature.

Season: Lemon Daddy is a deciduous plant with a long blooming time from very early spring through late fall, depending on the hardiness zone.

Suggested by: Linda Guy, new plant development director, Novalis Plants that Work (http:// www.plantsthatwork.com).

Where does it come from: Introduced by Novalis Plants that Work. A sport of Big Daddy hydrangea.

Tips: USDA hardiness zones 5-9.

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