Cardinal Red Hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Cardinal’
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 6a-9b Find Your Zone
Shrub Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub
Height at Maturity: 4-5′
Width at Maturity: 4-5′
Spacing: 3-4′ apart for solid hedges; 8′ or more apart for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Bushy, Dense, Globose/Round, Mounding
Flower Color: Deep Pink fading to Red
Flower Size: Large – up to 6-8″ inch diameter
Flowering Period: Summer
Flower Type: Single in large clusters
Fragrant Flowers: No
Foliage Color: Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: NA
Berry Color: NA
Sun Needs: Part Shade (South) – Sun or Part Shade (North)
Water Needs: Average, Lower when established
Soil Type: Clay (amended), Loam, Sand (amended), Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist
Soil pH: 6.0 – 8.0 (Moderately Acid to Moderately Alkaline)
Maintenance / Care: Low
Attracts: Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought (when established in part shade), Heat, Humidity, Insect
Description
‘Cardinal’ is a mophead Hydrangea that produces deep pink flowers that fade to red. Flowers are more red in acid soil conditions. Flowers are a standout in the garden during summer and are excellent for cutting and use in fresh or dried flower arrangements. The leaves are beautiful green and turn a lovely purple in the fall. Cardinal is a fast grower to about 4 to 5 feet in height and wide in 3 years.
Note: If we are sold out of Cardinal Red Hydrangea check to see if we have Charm Red Hydrangea or Glowing Embers Hydrangea, two other varieties we think are very close to or the same as Cardinal Red.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing in a rounded mound 4 to 5 feet tall and wide, Cardinal Red Hydrangea is ideal for use as an accent, in groupings, or as a colorful hedge in landscape borders and home foundation plantings. A fine addition to cut flower gardens, cottage gardens and Hydrangea gardens.
Suggested Spacing: 3 to 4 feet apart for solid hedges; 8 feet or more apart for space between plants
How To Measure Total Square Feet Of A Planting Area
How Many Plants Needed To Cover A Planting Area?
Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Cold Hardiness Zone 6a, where this Hydrangea variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and place back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.
Growing Preferences
Cardinal Red Hydrangea is easy to grow in a moist but well-drained soil in full sun to part shade, depending on your climate. Plants will tolerate full sun in northern zones however appreciate some afternoon shade or filtered sun in warmer southern zones. We suggest at least 5 hours of direct sunlight per day or all day lightly filtered sun for best flowering. Mophead-type Hydrangea produce blooms only on old wood (growth from the previous year). This means that even though it is tempting to cut them back in the winter, when they are only bare sticks jutting out of the ground, don’t do it. The flower buds are already formed and hidden in those bare sticks, so don’t cut them off if you want flowers!
Note: Cardinal Red is a Hydrangea macrophylla species that produces its flowers from buds that formed on “old wood” (during the previous year). This means that even though it is tempting to cut them back in the winter, when they are only bare sticks jutting out of the ground, don’t do it. The flower buds are already formed and hidden in those bare sticks, so don’t cut them off if you want flowers.
Get tips for proper pruning time and technique in our article titled How To Prune Various Types Of Hydrangea
Helpful Articles
Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Hydrangea shrubs.
How To Plant Hydrangeas In The Ground & Pots
How To Prune Various Types Of Hydrangea
How To Fertilize And Water Hydrangeas
Plant Long & Prosper!
Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff
Questions? Contact Us!
Love the Red Cardinal Hydrangea. Arrived in great shape planted and showing off!—————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy your purchase for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Plant was carefully packaged and arrived on time. My Cardinal Red Hydrangea was in good condition and has already put on new growth in just a few weeks. I’m extremely pleased with Wilson Brothers and will buy again.———————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I purchased 2 cardinal red hydrangeas (3 gal) and had them shipped to NC. They were packaged well and did not have any damage from shipping. There were no blooms, but that’s okay. I’m very happy with my purchase and will definitely order from Wilson Bros again.————————————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
….they were small, but there were several flowers when I unpacked the plant. Although Kalamazoo is zone 6a (barely), I planted it in a sheltered spot that gets plenty of late-morning/early-afternoon sun. The micro-climate is at least 6a, if not warmer, so I’m hoping for good results….looking forward to next season.——————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Plants arrived in good condition ,
Packaging excellent ,
Thank you!—————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Packaging excellent ,
Thank you!—————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I have been purchasing plants for about a year. I have never been disappointed. I live in a Chicago suburb and this past winter was very snowy and cold. Since this was the first winter for several plants I had purchased from wilson bros I was concerned they would not survive. This spring every plant is growing and they are all healthy. This nursery is a company you can trust. If you have a few minutes read the story of the wilson bros. They truly. Exemplify the American dream.—————————————–Wow! We are very glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks so much for the kind words and wonderful review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
The plants came boxed carefully. Perfect for planting.———————————————-We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂
Perfection.———————————————Thanks for the kind words!! We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂
Thank you for my Cardinal Red Hydrangea and all the other beautiful, healthy plants that I look so forward to enjoying for years to come. One plant that I purchased is “Tea Olive Tree” and I can’t hardly wait until I can smell the lovely promised fragrance. Thank you again and I would not hesitate to order again or tell all my friends how easy it was to order from such a reliable company. ——————— WBG Reply: Hi! Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Cardinal Red Hydrangea and hope you enjoy it for years to come. Thanks also for the wonderful compliments, which make everything we do even more worth the while!
Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens
Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens
I bought a Cardinal Hydrangea plant 2 years ago and last year it bloomed for the first time. It was absolutely beautiful. You have to have patience, though. It didn’t bloom completely red, only a deep pink with hints of red, but I’m optimistic that this year it will be great.———————————————-
Response from Wilson Bros Gardens: Hi Brenda – Thanks for providing us and others who visit this page with your review. Regarding the flower color, it will be darker in a more acid soil. It might be a good idea to test the soil pH…or you can just play around a little with the pH by adding some aluminum sulfate to the soil. This might make the flowers turn a darker red. If you’d like to try the aluminum sulfate just type in the word “aluminum” in the search at the top of the page.
Response from Wilson Bros Gardens: Hi Brenda – Thanks for providing us and others who visit this page with your review. Regarding the flower color, it will be darker in a more acid soil. It might be a good idea to test the soil pH…or you can just play around a little with the pH by adding some aluminum sulfate to the soil. This might make the flowers turn a darker red. If you’d like to try the aluminum sulfate just type in the word “aluminum” in the search at the top of the page.
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