Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata Limelight™) in the Hydrangeas Database

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Shrub
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Wet Mesic Mesic
Soil pH Preferences:	Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Maximum recommended zone:	Zone 9b
Plant Height:	6 - 8 feet
Plant Spread:	6 - 8 feet
Leaves:	Good fall color Deciduous
Fruit:	Dehiscent
Flowers:	Showy Blooms on new wood
Flower Color:	Green Pink Red Other: Pale green to white and age to pink, red and burgundy shades
Flower Time:	Summer Late summer or early fall Fall Late fall or early winter
Uses:	Windbreak or Hedge
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees
Resistances:	Pollution Drought tolerant
Pollinators:	Bees
Containers:	Suitable in 3 gallon or larger Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous:	Patent/Plant Breeders' Rights: USPP12,874; Can. 2319
Awards and Recognitions:	Other: 2011 Great Plant Picks award winner; 2018 Louisiana Super Plant

Trade name information:

Trade Name: Limelight™
Cultivar name: 'Limelight'

Common names

Panicle Hydrangea
Hydrangea

Also sold as:

Hydrangea paniculata 'Zwijnenburg'

Photo Gallery

Location: Belarus
Date: 2019-08-05
Our garden

Uploaded by sviatlana

Uploaded by Legalily

Uploaded by Versicolor

Location: Belarus
Date: 2021-08-27
Our garden

Uploaded by sviatlana

Uploaded by Legalily

Location: My garden in Warrenville, SC
Date: July 20, 2015

Uploaded by scflowers

Location: Belarus
Date: 2021-07-28
Our garden

Uploaded by sviatlana

Uploaded by Versicolor

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Poland
Date: 2022-08-30
Second year in my garden and the biggest panicles were the size o

Uploaded by Kanna

Location: Clinton, SC
Date: 2019-06-22
Limelight Hydrangea at Pine Haven Park

Uploaded by ClintonCanopy

Location: Local neighborhood garden
Date: 2019-07-25

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Uploaded by clintbrown

Location: My Yard
New addition this year. Acquired in late March from Blustone Pere

Uploaded by GaNinFl

Location: Illinois State University Horticultural Center, Normal, IL
Date: 2010-07-27
Limelight Hydrangea in full bloom

Uploaded by BookerC1

Location: My garden in Warrenville, SC
Date: 2018-07-15
check out how much this plant has grown in my garden by looking a

Uploaded by scflowers

Uploaded by SCButtercup

Location: In my garden, Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens, South Amana, IA
Date: Late summer
It's hard to believe that this is 'Limelight,' but it is.

Uploaded by LarryR

Location: my front yard
Date: 2011-08-08

Uploaded by doglover

Uploaded by PollyK

Uploaded by SpringGreenThumb

Uploaded by SpringGreenThumb

Location: Eagle Bay, New York
Date: 2022-08-30
Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata Limelight™) about 10 ye

Uploaded by adknative

Location: My garden in Warrenville, SC
Date: 2016-07-06

Uploaded by scflowers

Location: My garden in Warrenville, SC
Date: 2016-07-06
In full sun all day; temps near 100...still looks great!

Uploaded by scflowers

Location: My garden in N E Pa.
Date: 2015-07-14

Uploaded by treehugger

Location: My garden in Warrenville, SC
Date: 2017-07-09

Uploaded by scflowers

Location: my front yard
Date: 2011-08-15

Uploaded by doglover

Uploaded by doglover

Location: Belmont garden - shady spot
Date: 2010-0714

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by foraygardengirl

Location: Eagle Bay, New York
Date: 2021-10-14
Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata Limelight™), autumn

Uploaded by adknative

Location: Flowery Branch, GA
Date: 2017-09-24

Uploaded by GenXNEGeorgia

Photo Courtesy of Hydrangea Farm Nursery Used with Permission

Uploaded by vic

Location: Lincolnshire, England, UK
Date: 22 September 2011
Limelight- Moving into Autumn the blooms tinge with pink

Uploaded by okus

Location: Lincolnshire, England, UK
Date: 22 September 2011
Limelight in September

Uploaded by okus

Uploaded by SCButtercup

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: The Park, full sun.
Date: 2016-07-15
It's so green! Never before has it been this green.

Uploaded by pirl

Location: The Park, full sun.
Date: 2016-07-15
All bottom growth was removed last year to provide more room for

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by Legalily

Location: Botanical Gardens of the State of Georgia...Athens, Ga
Date: 2018-07-08
Panicle Hydrangea 002

Uploaded by dawiz1753

Location: At a Utah nursery
Date: 2011-10-19
Fall color

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: Belmont garden - shady spot
Date: 2011-1024
As I dug it up to move it you can see it split in two. I planted

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by pirl

Location: Eagle Bay, New York
Date: 2021-10-14
Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata Limelight™)

Uploaded by adknative

Uploaded by SpringGreenThumb

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Roses_R_Red

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: Belmont garden
Date: 2014-07-25

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by Shannon

Uploaded by Shannon

Uploaded by foraygardengirl

Location: Lionville (Exton), Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-08-25
two full-grown shrubs in parking lot island

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Lionville (Exton), Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-08-25
big flower heads

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2011-08-08
one tree form in bloom

Uploaded by ILPARW

Uploaded by Legalily

Location: Botanical Gardens of the State of Georgia...Athens, Ga
Date: 2018-07-08
Panicle Hydrangea 001

Uploaded by dawiz1753

Location: Belmont garden - shady spot
Date: 2010-0801

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: Mount Bethel, PA
Date: 2009-10-23
Everyone that I know now has part of the dried blooms. They last

Uploaded by Roses_R_Red

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2017-10-09

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by jmorth

Photo courtesy of Rhododendrons Direct. Used with permission.

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Char

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: Mobot, St L. (Missouri Botanical Garden)
Date: 2017-08-09

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Date: 2011-07-21
Photo Courtesy of Hydrangeas Plus Used with Permission

Uploaded by vic

Location: At a Utah Nursery
Date: 2011-10-19
White fall color

Uploaded by Paul2032

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by ssgardener (Silver Spring, MD - Zone 7a) on Dec 6, 2011 6:21 PM concerning plant:

I wish I had room for 5 more of these hydrangeas.

The flowers start a beautiful lime green color and turn bright white. They're supposed to turn pink before turning brown, but mine just turned brown. I think I may have not watered it enough at the time it was supposed to turn pink. I hope they turn pink next fall.

The brown flower heads provide great winter interest. Mine's in the northwest corner of my house and gets full sun from about 1 pm to sunset, and it's done beautifully! No sign of sun or heat damage at all. My neighbor has a different cultivar of paniculata and the blooms flop all the way to the ground. But the Limelight blooms stay upright on strong stems.

I can't recommend this plant enough!

Reply to this comment
Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Jan 31, 2019 3:31 PM concerning plant:

This new cultivar, patented on August 20th, 2002, is popular right now and available from many conventional nurseries. It has very large roundish pyramidal flower clusters of mostly the sterile petal-like florets. The flowers should begin creamy white, then develop a greenish tinge, then turn dark pink, and then turn brown.

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Posted by okus (Lincolnshire, UK) on Sep 22, 2011 4:49 AM concerning plant:

This Hydrangea has huge panicles, 8-10 inches long and 6 inches across, on very long stems. They change colour as they mature, starting lime green, turning true white, and finally developing a rusty pink tinge as they go over.

It is drought tolerant and grows well in my dry stony soil. It is also hardier than the "mopheads." When they were cut back to ground level by -14C temperatures and deep snow last winter, Limelight retained its structure. It is now, after 3 years, a large bush about 5 feet tall and the same across.

Reply to this comment
Posted by pirl (Southold, Long Island, NY - Zone 7a) on Aug 24, 2014 9:06 AM concerning plant:

Limelight is a winner. The huge heads, glowing light green early on in the blooming season, then changing to a very pleasant creamy off-white, are treasures. It is tall and gets tall fast from a very young plant - doesn't waste any time! Ours is now well over 6' tall. Originally planted in 2008, a gift from a very generous trader.

The heads dry beautifully in a vase without any water. No need to hang them upside down.

It happily layers itself from branches that touch the earth.

Reply to this comment

Plant Events from our members
christine2	On June 1, 2014	Obtained plant 3
SunriseSide	On May 17, 2019	Obtained plant pianted same day

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Hydrangeas Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata Limelight™)

Hydrangeas

Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata Limelight™)