Will Your Hydrangeas Come Back Next Year? It Depends on Where You Live

• Landscaping hydrangeas—potted or otherwise—will come back if planted within their USDA zone.
• Hydrangeas sold as flowering plants rarely return because of a forced early bloom period.
• Overwintering hydrangeas is low-maintenance and can be achieved with mulch and the right container for potted plants.

Whether your hydrangea comes back next year depends on the type: Some last only a year at most, while others can last for decades.

Here is how to successfully grow hydrangeas as perennials in the ground or in pots, what you can do to get them through the winter, and other hydrangea care tips.

Are Hydrangeas Perennials?

There is a significant difference between the small potted flowering hydrangeas that are sold by florists and a hydrangea that you bought at a nursery and planted in your landscape. The first kind is short-lived by design and the second kind lasts for years, if not decades.

Small potted hydrangeas that are sold as flowering plants are not perennials. Also called florist hydrangeas, these hydrangeas have been forced into flowering early, and have weak stems and a much smaller root system as a result. This affects their ability to get established in the soil the same way, which greatly diminishes their chances of surviving the winter, and are more susceptible to diseases.

As for landscaping hydrangea shrubs, these can be perennials. However, whether they come back every year depends on the hardiness of the hydrangea, which varies between hydrangea species and varieties. If the USDA zone of your location matches the hardiness zone requirements of the hydrangea you planted—and the rest of the growing conditions are also met—it is highly likely to come back.

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Hardiness Zones for Hydrangeas

Generally, members of the Hydrangea genus grow in Zones 3-9. Some species or varieties have a slightly narrower hardiness range:

Within the species, there are also differences in hardiness between the cultivars. For example, Endless Summer is an outlier, a particularly cold-hardy bigleaf hydrangea that survives winters as low as zone 4. 

If your hardiness zone is lower or higher than that of the variety, it will grow as an annual. Florist hydrangeas are also grown as annuals. 

A frost-free climate (Zone 10-11) is not suitable for growing hydrangeas as perennials because to go dormant and bloom the next year, hydrangeas need a cold period during the winter. 

How to Grow Hydrangeas in Pots

Hydrangeas in pots can be grown as perennials, but they need a little extra care.

• Select a frostproof pot to prevent cracking; clay, terra cotta, or ceramic pots are not suitable. Make sure the pot has large drainage holes. 
• Place the potted plant in a protected spot, such as north- or east-facing site to avoid strong sun exposure and temperature extremes. 
• Potted hydrangeas dry out much faster than plants in garden soil. Water frequently, up to once or twice a day in hot weather whenever the top inch of soil feels dry. Water slowly and deeply until water drips out of the drainage holes.
• Fertilize the hydrangea twice, once in early spring and again in mid-spring, to make up for the washout from frequent watering. Do not apply fertilizer after late July.

How to Overwinter Hydrangeas

If you have planted a hydrangea that is suitable for your climate, there is no need to protect in-ground hydrangeas during the winter. However, covering the area around the shrub with 3 to 4 inches of mulch insulates the roots against the cold.

Potted hydrangeas need to be winterized, even if they are hardy in your zone. Burying the container in the ground soil before the ground freezes is only practical for smaller pots. For larger containers, build an insulation silo by placing the container in a larger container filled with mulch or straw. Alternatively, wrap the container (not the plant) with several layers of bubble wrap or burlap. 

Tips for Growing Hydrangeas 

• Finding the right amount of sun exposure for your hydrangea is key for it to bloom. The warmer your climate, the more shade the hydrangea needs; locations in morning sun and afternoon shade are best. 
• Do not overfertilize the plant. Instead of using commercial fertilizer, working organic matter such as compost into the soil every spring is often sufficient to add nutrients. Using organic matter avoids too much nitrogen, which leads to lots of foliage and fewer blooms.
• Hydrangeas need consistent moisture. In dry spells and hot weather, keep an eye on the plant. If the leaves look wilted during the day and don’t recover in the evening, water deeply. 
• Familiarize yourself with the budding and flowering pattern of your hydrangea because that determines the right time to prune hydrangeas.