Bigleaf hydrangea vs Smooth hydrangea

Bigleaf hydrangea and Smooth hydrangea are often considered for the same spot in the garden (flowers, specimen, container). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Bigleaf hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A rounded deciduous shrub with large mophead or lacecap flower clusters that carry the garden through summer. Plant it in sheltered part shade where…

Shrub

Part shade

Shade

from about CZK 89

Smooth hydrangea

Hydrangea arborescens 1.3 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A rounded deciduous hydrangea that carries big globe-shaped flower heads from early summer on the current year's shoots, so it blooms reliably even…

Shrub

Part shade

Full sun

Shade

from about CZK 170

Key differences

Smooth hydrangea is hardier: down to -34 °C, against -23 °C for Bigleaf hydrangea.
Smooth hydrangea copes better with summer heat than Bigleaf hydrangea.
Smooth hydrangea needs less water than Bigleaf hydrangea.
Smooth hydrangea also takes chalky soil, Bigleaf hydrangea prefers acidic soil and struggles on chalk.
Smooth hydrangea needs less care than Bigleaf hydrangea.

Which one to choose?

Smooth hydrangea is the better choice if the garden is cold or a frost pocket, the spot is hot and sunny, you cannot water regularly or the soil is chalky.

Watch out for

Bigleaf hydrangea

Most cultivars flower on the previous year's wood, so in Central Europe a hard winter or a late spring frost can kill the flower buds and leave the shrub with few or no flowers that year; young plants are worth mulching with leaves for winter. On limy soil and with hard irrigation water it develops iron chlorosis (yellowing leaves). In hot, dry summers the leaves and flowers scorch and spider mites appear; aphids, powdery mildew and leaf spot also occur.

Smooth hydrangea

In Central Europe summer heat and drought are its main enemy: in hot sun without watering the leaves wilt and scorch and the flower heads stay smaller. After rain the big heads of the weaker-stemmed cultivars pull the shoots to the ground, so give them support or cut back only to 30 to 40 cm in spring to build a sturdier framework. Powdery mildew and leaf spot can appear in humid weather and aphids on young shoots, but they are rarely serious.

The data side by side

Feature	Bigleaf hydrangea	Smooth hydrangea
Group	Shrub	Shrub
Size after 10 years	1.5 m × 1.5 m	1.3 m × 1.5 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	1–2.5 m × 1–2.5 m	0.9–1.8 m × 0.9–1.8 m (uncertain)
Growth rate	Medium (uncertain)	Fast
Light	Part shade, Shade	Part shade, Full sun, Shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Acidic	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Acidic, Calcareous
Hardiness	down to -23 °C (USDA 6, RHS H7)	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	Low	Medium
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	June–September, white, pink, red, blue, purple	June–September, white, pink, green (uncertain)
Water need	High	Medium
Drought tolerance	Low	Low
Maintenance	High	Low
Planting distance	100 cm	100 cm
For dogs	Toxic	Toxic
For cats	Toxic	Toxic
For children	Mildly toxic	Mildly toxic
Typical price	approx. CZK 120	approx. CZK 230

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 17, 2026

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