Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ PP12,874
The genus Hydrangea has come a long way in the last decade. In fact, with the pioneering introductions of Endless Summer Hydrangea in the macrophylla species and the mother lode of new paniculata types introduced by Color Choice®/Proven Winners® in the last 10 years, Hydrangeas have become, perhaps, the hottest woody genus on the market. With late summer and fall on the horizon, we are entering the season where the Proven Winners® introductions are ready to shine in the landscape. The variety that got it all started for Proven Winners® is ‘Limelight’ and, after close to a decade since its introduction, it has become the best seller and the most anticipated of all late summer blooming Hydrangea.
‘Limelight’ looks very much like the old landscape standby, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’, until it starts to bloom. Instead of opening white like ‘Grandiflora’, ‘Limelight’s’ massive collection of broadly pyramidal, stem ending steeples of bloom open chartreuse, offering a radically different color change that is riveting in the mid-summer landscape. As the huge, 6-12” tall flower towers mature, they 
transition from chartreuse to white and finally to pink as the long lasting show continues into late fall. Better yet, ‘Limelight’ offers another improvement over ‘Grandiflora’ that makes it far superior in the landscape. While the stems of ‘Grandiflora’ tend to bend under the weight of their huge flowers causing the plant to, at times, become an open, sprawling mess, the stems on ‘Limelight’ are stronger holding even the largest flowers upright and leaving the rounded form of the plant unblemished.
Hydrangea ‘Limelight’ is a very resilient, easy care shrub with minimal needs and few diseases that affect it. Its Zone 4 hardiness makes it a cold weather stalwart in the landscape and it thrives in full sun to partial shade making it perfect for a multitude of landscape spots. ‘Limelight’ lends itself in spectacular fashion to grouping to form a very showy border planting or it will put on a riveting show an a single specimen planting. Make sure you give it enough room to spread since its mature size is 6-10’ tall and wide. While not meant for small spaces, its dense tight, habit is beautifully under control for the proper sized spot.
Like all Hydrangea paniculata types, ‘Limelight’ flowers are perfect for drying. They will be the perfect companion in your house throughout the year to the incredibly long lasting landscape bloom that will give one more reason to love the summer!
Awards
2008 - Award of Garden Merit
-Royal Horticulture Society at Wisley Gardens
2007 - Fresh Cut Flower of the Year
-Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers
2007 - Knock Your Socks Off
-University of Georgia
2007 - Way Hot 100
-Garden Design
2006 - Gold Medal Plant
-Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
2005 - Way Hot 100
-Garden Design
Consumer Comments:
This Hydrangea is a showstopper! Right now, after just four months in the ground, it is blooming like mad with big, fat, beautiful creamy, to bright white elongated blooms. The blooms are sturdy and the stems take a good wind without collapsing. It has doubled in size since April, and I'm looking forward to all the color changes the bloom will go through. I planted another ‘Limelight’ last year and the blooms got so big and the color changes were so amazing to see, I couldn't believe all that beauty fit on one plant! Because of that one plant, I went out and got three more!
Barry, MI