After Midnight Hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla x serrata ‘After Midnight’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 6a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub

Height at Maturity: 3-4′

Width at Maturity: 3-4′

Spacing: 3′ for solid hedges; 6’+ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Bushy, Dense, Globose/Round, Mounding

Flower Color: Dark Pink in neutral to alkaline soils, Purple-Blue in acidic soils

Flower Size: Large – Up to 6-8″

Flowering Period: Summer holding color into Fall

Flower Type: Single in large rounded clusters

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: NA

Berry Color: NA

Sun Needs: Part Shade (South) – Mostly Sun or Part Shade (North)

Water Needs: Average

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, Disease, Drought (when established in part shade), Heat, Humidity, Insect

Description

The ‘After Midnight’ Hydrangea features large rounded clusters of deep pink to purple-blue flowers – you choose the color! Acid soil brings purple-blue flowers or neutral to alkaline soils bring pink flowers. The abundant and long-lasting flower clusters appear in early summer and hold their color well into fall. Deep green leaves are an excellent backdrop for the flowers. A compact Hydrangea growing to only 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, ‘After Midnight’ fits nicely as a specimen in smaller garden spaces or in containers.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing naturally 3 to 4 feet tall and wide in a rounded mound, the After Midnight Hydrangea is ideal for use as an accent in smaller garden spaces, home foundation plantings, flowering shrub borders, or in pots, planters and other containers. In larger spaces it can be used as a hedge or in groupings for a dramatic and long-lasting display of vibrant color. A fine addition to hydrangea gardens, pink or blue theme gardens and cottage gardens.

Suggested Spacing: 3 feet apart for solid hedges; 6 feet or more apart for space between plants

Growing Preferences

After Midnight Hydrangea is very easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained soil with average fertility and full sun to part shade in northern zones and part shade (morning sun with afternoon shade or filtered sun) in southern zones. For best flowering, we suggest 4 hours of direct sun light per day. As with so many other ornamental plants, a constantly soggy or wet soil is problematic.

Note: After Midnight 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, fertilize, prune and water 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!

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I love Wilson Brothers and their plants! This hydrangea was packaged, shipped, and delivered in excellent condition. Upon arrival the leafs were perky and the plant had a good amount of moisture. I got it in the ground within 24 hours and it is doing very well. I’m always super satisfied with the customer services and plant quality at Wilson Brothers, and I recommend them to anyone I know!——————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks so much for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Got all three plants and they are in great shape. They were very well packed, and they have been planted. Can’t wait to see them grow.
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

Yes, everything is fine. I have not planted them yet. Need to prepare the planting spot and it has been so rainy. Both plants look good though and were nicely packed.——————————We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂