When to plant and prune Climbing hydrangea
Climbing hydrangea flowers from late May to early July and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Climbing hydrangea is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late March to mid May | late May to early July | mid July to early August |
| South Coast and Channel | late March to mid May | late May to early July | mid July to early August |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late March to mid May | late May to early July | mid July to early August |
| South East and Home Counties | late March to mid May | late May to early July | mid July to early August |
| East Anglia | late March to mid May | late May to early July | mid July to early August |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late March to mid May | late May to early July | mid July to early August |
| Wales and West Coast | late March to mid May | late May to early July | mid July to early August |
| Northern England | late March to mid May | late May to early July | mid July to early August |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late March to mid May | late May to early July | mid July to early August |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late March to mid May | late May to early July | mid July to early August |
| Northern Ireland | late March to mid May | late May to early July | mid July to early August |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late March to mid May | late May to early July | mid July to early August |
Growing notes
Self-clinging by aerial roots, but young plants need wires or a trellis and tying in until they grip. Slow to establish: expect three to five years before the first flowers, and it is ideal on a cool north or east wall.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 200 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 1200 cm
- Eventual spread
- 600 cm
- Hardiness
- H5
- Sun
- Shade tolerant
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- No
- Balcony rating
- 1 out of 5
Feeding
No regular feeding needed; an annual spring mulch of organic matter is enough.
Pruning: what to avoid
Hard pruning cuts off the flowering wood and can stop it flowering for a couple of summers; renovate an overgrown plant in stages over three or four years instead of all at once.
Pruning group
Prune in summer straight after flowering: shorten over-long shoots and tie in replacements. Most flowers form near the top, so keep pruning light.
What usually goes wrong
- lack of flowers on young plants
- frost damage to shoot tips
- hydrangea scale
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for climbing hydrangea.