Hydrangea Paniculata Skyfall

Hydrangea Paniculata Skyfall is a deciduous herbaceous perennial with creamy white flowerheads that mature to pale pink in autumn. It’s mid-sized with large flowerheads so suits a small garden and sunny mixed flower borders.

Hydrangea Paniculata is native to thin woodlands, mountain slopes and valleys of the Far East, but they have been very popular here since their introduction in the 1800s. The variety Skyfall was bred by Guido Rouwette from the Netherlands by crossing popular Limelight with Silver Dollar. It’s also called Hydrangea paniculata Frenne.

The result is a compact, bushy hydrangea with abundant super-sized flowers. Its name Skyfall refers to its many tiny star-shaped florets that make up a fat cone-shaped flower head. Its flowers are initially white, but as they mature turn pale pink. Because its flower heads mature at different speeds the shrub is a multitude of whites and pinks in mid to late summer.

This is a deciduous shrub so the broadly ovate-toothed leaves will fall in autumn before growing back bigger and better the following year on its dark red stems.  

If you like huge masses of flowerheads Skyfall is a great choice.

Height And Spread of Hydrangea Paniculata Skyfall
This is a compact hydrangea paniculata that reaches 1.2 metres in height and spread over 5-10 years.

How Hardy Is Hydrangea Paniculata Skyfall
With well-drained roots and a sunny position, this is a hardy shrub that’s able to withstand freezing winters.

How To Use Hydrangea Paniculata Skyfall
Mixed borders in cottage-style gardens benefit from Skyfall’s white to pink flower heads, but the unusual chunky cone shape also makes it suitable for modern gardens where its compact nature fits in nicely.
Hydrangea paniculata Skyfall is a must-have in wildlife-friendly low-maintenance spaces and it suits a large well-watered container too. If you have a balcony garden that receives sun then Skyfall will keep the flowers coming in that tricky late summer to early autumn time.

How To Care for Hydrangea Paniculata Skyfall
This is an easy-to-grow and look-after shrub. Choose a sunny to partially shady position in an exposed or sheltered area and water it well until established. It’s not fussy about soil pH so long as the ground is relatively fertile and well-drained.
Cut back dead wood in spring and reduce each branch back to a pair of healthy buds to encourage flowering. Add a thick layer of well-rotted organic mulch to the base in spring and again in early winter if you live in colder areas of the UK. A winter mulch will help protect the roots from excessive wet and freezing conditions.
Container-grown hydrangea should be placed on raised feet to allow adequate drainage.