When you walk into the home or garden of someone with a hydrangea plant, there’s no way it won’t catch your eye. With colors ranging from blue, pink, white, lavender and rose, they almost look like artificial plants or plant art until you get closer. Although there are guesstimated to be approximately 70 to 80 different types of hydrangeas, the most common garden hydrangea shrub is known as “bigleaf hydrangeas” (aka hydrangea macrophylla, aka French hydrangeas).

Three Different Types of Bigleaf Hydrangeas

The main three types of hydrangea macrophylla plants are the mophead, lacecap and mountain hydrangeas. For gardeners who live in cold-weather climates, these are the hydrangeas you’ll want to focus on because they can survive cold temperature, assuming it’s not freezing or really dry. If the weather fluctuates too much between hot and cold days, hydrangea gardeners may have a plant problem on their hands. (And for pet owners, hydrangeas should not be within reach of dogs or cats.)

The good news is that even if the buds of the mophead is “winter-killed,” it will still form new buds in the spring and bloom. And although mountain hydrangeas (aka Hydrangea serrata, aka Tea of Heaven) are more rare than the other two, they are noticeably durable and built to survive harsh winters.

Caring for Hydrangeas In the Winter

Although these plants can survive winter, like you would do with your own body during the winter months, protecting and covering them helps. Even before it gets cold, keep an eye on hydrangeas (and all of your other plants) to make sure rodents and insects aren’t getting the best of them. Then, start the pruning process; remove any dead or damaged branches, flower heads and flower buds. After watering your now-pruned plant, add a few inches of mulch. This will help hydrangeas retain moisture and stay warm during the first bite of winter and onward. Finally, with burlap, chicken wire caging, plastic leaf bags, mulch mountains or frost blankets, wrap up the above-ground stems to guard against frost or cold damage.

Tips for Damaged Hydrangeas In the Winter

Even the best green-thumber can run into planting obstacles. Plants are moody. So is the weather. If you truly think your plant will never survive a harsh winter, consider bringing it inside. Move your hydrangeas into a pot, and place them in the garage or basement where the temperature will definitely be cooler than your home, but tolerable. The only downside of doing this is you’ll have to water the plants monthly, as opposed to letting snow do its moisturizing job in your winter garden until spring.

But if you already have houseplants that you planned to water anyway, just add this (unwrapped) one to the list. Generally speaking, one inch of water per week near the base and root area is fine, but bigleaf and smooth hydrangeas may require more water. Be aware of browning leaves, which means you are overwatering your hydrangea.

When Spring Returns, Hydrangeas May Be Better Left Outside (Again)

You may find that your hydrangea is colorful, full and thriving in a low sunlit area in your home. If so, don’t mess up a good thing. But if you’re finding that your hydrangea is browning and none of your usual gardening tips are working, it’s time to bring it back outside by spring. While hydrangeas generally do just fine in a large pot near porches and decks, sometimes they want to get outside as much as you do when the weather is warmer. If you watch the behavior of your plants closely, they’ll give you a hint whether you need to make that move.