Sister Theresa Hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Sister Theresa’

Other Names: White Hydrangea

Plant Details

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

Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub

Height at Maturity: 4-5′

Width at Maturity: 4-6′

Spacing: 3-4′ for solid hedge; 8’+ or more for space between plants

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

Flower Color: Pure White

Flower Size: Large – Up to 6-8″

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

Bred in 1947 and originally named ‘Petite Soeur Therese De L’enfant Jesus’ (Whew!…that’s a long name!), ‘Sister Theresa’ is a wonderful heirloom that produces large, spherical clusters of pristine white flowers, even in full shade. The purity of the white is stunning with no pink or cream. That said, the flowers fade to an attractive pale green with mauve-pink overtones. The flowers are quite large and the individual sepals are very big making the blooms more striking, and perfect for long-lasting cut flowers. An outstanding landscape shrub for border edges, containers, and foundation plantings in partial to full shade.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing in a mound 4 to 5 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide, the Sister Theresa Hydrangea is ideal for use as an accent, in groupings or as a colorful hedge in shady to partially shaded landscape borders, home foundation plantings, and perennial gardens. Also suitable for growing in somewhat large containers of 14 inches or more in diameter. A fine addition to Hydrangea gardens, white theme gardens, shade and woodland gardens, cut flower gardens and cottage gardens.

Suggested Spacing: 3 to 4 feet apart for solid hedge; 8 feet or more apart for space between plants

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 that 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

Sister Theresa Hydrangea prefers full sun in northern zones and some afternoon shade or filtered sun the farther south you go. She adapts to various soil types however prefers a moist but well-drained loamy soil. Not too wet though…Hydrangea don’t like constantly soggy soil. This mophead blooms on old wood so should be pruned right after they bloom, when the blooms have faded. Reach down into the bush and cut off the stems to about a foot high, right above a bud. USDA Zones: 6a-9b Find Your Zone

Note: Sister Theresa 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!

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