Hydrangeas are the divas of the garden, flaunting their voluminous clusters of blooms in a dazzling array of colors. Depending on the soil pH, this plant can go from a serene blue to a passionate pink and even settle into a classic white.
This deciduous shrub stands out effortlessly. You can grow hydrangeas on their own, but to truly enhance their beauty, find the right plants to grow among them.
In this guide, we’ll explore the best companion plants for hydrangeas. These plants complement their aesthetic appeal while also supporting their growth and vitality.
The Best Companion Plants for Hydrangeas
These are the best companion plants for hydrangeas:
1. Hostas
Known for their lush foliage and varied leaf colors, hostas are classic hydrangea companion plants. Hostas and hydrangeas have similar growing conditions, which include partial to full shade and well-drained, moist soil.
The best hosta varieties to pair with hydrangeas include Hosta ‘Patriot,’ Hosta ‘Frances Williams,’ Hosta ‘Sum and Substance,’ and Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears.’ Hostas provide year-round interest, adding texture and color.
Hardiness zones: 3-9
2. Astilbe
These perennials’ bloom time often overlaps with hydrangeas, creating a harmonious display. Astilbes produce upright, feathery plumes of flowers that bloom in shades of pink, white, red, and purple that contrast nicely with the larger, more robust hydrangea blooms.
Astilbes thrive in similar conditions as hydrangeas. Grow hydrangeas with Astilbe varieties like Astilbe ‘Fanal,’ Astilbe ‘Deutschland,’ Astilbe ‘Pumila,’ and Astilbe ‘Bridal Veil.’
Hardiness zones: 3-9
Read More:
- What To Plant With Roses
- Low-Maintenance Perennials For Shade
- Invasive Perennials You Don’t Want In Your Garden
3. Ferns
Ferns’ love for shade and moisture makes them excellent companions for hydrangeas. The delicate, intricate fronds of ferns provide a beautiful contrast to hydrangeas’ broad, bold leaves and large blooms. This textural diversity enhances your garden’s visual appeal.
Their dense foliage helps retain soil moisture and provide continuous visual interest. You can grow low-growing ferns, such as the Japanese painted fern or maidenhair fern, as ground cover around hydrangeas’ base.
Hardiness zones: 3-10
4. Daylilies
Grow hydrangeas with daylilies to ensure there is always something blooming. Daylilies’ blooming period overlaps with many hydrangea varieties’ bloom periods. Daylily and hydrangea flowers complement each other.
Moreover, daylilies’ long, strap-like leaves add a linear texture to the garden, contrasting with the broad, serrated hydrangeas leaves. Both daylilies and hydrangeas are relatively easy to care for and require similar growing conditions.
Hardiness zones: 3-9
5. Coral Bells
These summer flowering perennials are mainly grown for their stunning foliage rather than delicate pink flowers. Coral bells offer year-round appeal with their evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage.
These finely textured leaves will add a delicate, intricate element to your garden, contrasting with hydrangeas’ bold, broad leaves. Plant coral bells and hydrangeas in areas that receive partial shade, especially during the hot afternoon hours.
Hardiness zones: 4-9
6. Boxwood
This versatile, evergreen shrub provides a year-round structure and green backdrop that sets off the colorful hydrangea blooms. You can incorporate boxwood and hydrangeas into your formal garden, mixed border, container planting, and foundation plantings.
Also, consider lining your garden pathways with boxwood hedges with hydrangeas planted just behind them for an eye-catching, welcoming display. You can prune boxwood into various shapes and sizes, from formal hedges to whimsical topiaries.
7. Ligularias
Like hydrangeas, ligularias thrive in moist, shady areas. These plants’ shared preference for moisture helps ensure both plants remain healthy and vigorous. Ligularias’ dramatic leaves and vibrant blooms provide a beautiful contrast to the large, lush leaves and showy flowers of hydrangeas.
You can create a stunning display featuring hydrangeas and ligularias to display on your patio or balcony. Moreover, you can form a shaded border with these plants.
Hardiness zones: 4-8
8. Japanese Forest Grass
Enhance hydrangeas’ look with this graceful, ornamental grass that thrives in shade and partial shade. Japanese Forest Grass’ arching, cascading habit, and bright green or variegated leaves provide a soft, flowing contrast to the hydrangea’s more rigid structure.
This grass is also drought-tolerant once established, making it a low-maintenance option. Its graceful form and changing colors ensure your garden stays engaging and attractive.
Hardiness zones: 4-10
9. Japanese Anemones
Extend your garden’s flowering season with this wonderful fall-blooming perennial. It will give color and interest to the area once hydrangeas have finished their peak blooming season. Japanese anemones’ upright, airy growth habit complements hydrangeas’ bushy, rounded form.
In addition, their delicate flowers floating above the foliage add a light and airy feel that contrasts beautifully with the dense flower heads of hydrangeas.
Hardiness zones: 4-8
10. Rhododendrons and Azaleas
These evergreen shrubs are fantastic companion plants for hydrangeas as they share similar growing conditions and offer a dazzling display of blooms. Since these plants typically bloom in the spring, they provide early-season color before hydrangeas start their flowering period in summer.
Rhododendrons and azaleas’ broad, glossy leaves contrast beautifully with hydrangeas’ lush leaves. They also produce numerous flowers in different colors.
Hardiness zones:
Rhododendrons: 4-8
Azaleas: 5-9
11. Columbines
The intricate, spurred blooms and graceful foliage of columbines make spaces elegant. Columbines’ blooming season precedes the hydrangea bloom period, thus giving early-season color. These plants have an airy, upright growth habit with delicate, lobed foliage.
Columbines attract pollinators, so planting them alongside hydrangeas, which also attract pollinators, creates a garden environment that supports local wildlife.
Hardiness zones: 3-8
12. Creeping Jenny
Consider the Creeping Jenny for a lively groundcover for hydrangeas. This vibrant plant forms a dense mat of foliage that spreads quickly, providing adequate ground cover. Plant it around the base of hydrangeas.
Creeping Jenny’s golden-yellow or bright green foliage gives color to spaces and contrasts beautifully with hydrangea flowers. This plant will stay evergreen if you live in a mild climate.
Hardiness zones: 4-9
13. Lamium
This is another excellent choice for ground cover around hydrangeas. It spreads quickly, forming a dense foliage mat that effectively covers. This ground-covering ability ensures the soil remains cool and moist, creating an ideal environment for hydrangeas.
Lamium’s variegated foliage also provides a stunning contrast to hydrangeas’ broad leaves and large flower heads. This plant is highly shade-tolerant, hence well-suited to the partially shaded conditions preferred by many hydrangea varieties.
Hardiness zones: 3-8
14. Rose of Sharon
This deciduous shrub can reach heights of 8-12 feet. Therefore, you can pair it with hydrangeas for some vertical elements. This vertical growth also offers some dappled shade, protecting hydrangeas from the harsh midday sun, thus helping maintain their vibrant foliage and blooms.
Aesthetically, the Rose of Sharon produces an abundance of colorful blooms from late summer into fall, extending your garden’s flowering season.
Hardiness zones: 5-9
15. Crepe Myrtle
Create an attractive layered look in your garden by growing hydrangeas with crepe myrtle since this attractive plant grows tall. Plant crepe myrtles in the background or as a central focal point, with hydrangeas in front or around the base for a tiered effect.
Coordinate the colors of hydrangea blooms with crepe myrtle flowers for a harmonious or contrasting color scheme.
Hardiness zones: 6-9
16. Sedge
Many sedge varieties are well-suited to grow alongside hydrangeas because they thrive in partial to full shade. Moreover, this plant aligns with hydrangeas’ water requirements and provides effective ground cover, helping to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture around hydrangeas.
You can use sedge as an underplanting around the base of hydrangeas or along garden borders or pathways near hydrangeas for a natural, flowing edge.
Hardiness zones: 3-10
17. Blue Fescue
This ornamental grass features fine, spiky blue-gray foliage that forms neat, rounded clumps. Blue Fescue’s unique color and texture can highlight and accentuate the hydrangeas’ vibrant flowers, making your garden balanced and aesthetically pleasing.
Blue Fescue features a tidy growth habit, making it perfect for edging and defining garden beds. It also helps prevent the spread of weeds and provides a clean backdrop for hydrangeas.
Hardiness zones: 4-8
18. Lamb’s Ear
Create a stunning contrast that will make your garden more visually appealing by planting hydrangeas with lamb’s ear. This plant forms a dense mat that helps suppress weeds and retain soil moisture around hydrangeas.
Place lamb’s ear in front of or around hydrangeas to create a tiered effect with the low-growing, silver foliage. The silvery leaves of lamb’s ear pair well with hydrangea blooms’ pastel and vibrant hues.
Hardiness zones: 4-8
19. Camelias
Camellias and hydrangeas flourish in partial to full shade and prefer consistently well-drained, moist soil. These reasons make camellia a great companion plant for hydrangeas. Plant hydrangeas in front and camellias as a backdrop or in the middle layer to create depth and interest.
Hardiness zones: 7-9
20. Cranesbill
Let’s wrap our list with this perennial plant that is not only easy to grow but also provides beautiful, long-lasting blooms and attractive foliage that complement hydrangeas well. Plant cranesbill as a ground cover around hydrangeas or create a neat, colorful border by lining the pathways or edges near hydrangeas with cranesbill.
Hardiness zones: 4-8
Summary
Any of the plants above can enhance hydrangeas, elevating your garden to better heights. When picking the best companion plants for hydrangeas, match the soil and light requirements, mix plants of different heights and textures, and select plants with foliage or flowers that complement the hydrangea’s bloom colors. Also, choose companions that bloom before, after, or at the same time as hydrangeas.
Hey there, fellow plant enthusiasts! I’m Rachel, the green-thumbed writer behind Rooted In Garden. With a deep-rooted love for all things botanical, I’ve made it my mission to help you cultivate a thriving collection of houseplants. As a devoted plant parent myself, I understand the joys and challenges that come with nurturing these leafy wonders. Whether you’re a succulent aficionado, an orchid enthusiast, or simply adore all potted flora, join me on this journey as we explore the secrets to growing and caring for our beloved green companions. Together, let’s create a flourishing oasis indoors.