15 Red Hydrangea Varieties

Red hydrangeas are something special, which is why they are becoming more and more popular every year. Today I’m going to tell you about the 15 best red hydrangeas.

Summer Crush Hydrangea

Summer Crush is one of the reddest bigleaf hydrangeas. The color can vary slightly depending on the soil pH, but in general, it holds up well. The flower heads are also quite large and look lovely against the bright green foliage.

The size of this variety does not exceed 3 feet in width and height, allowing it to be grown in a small area as well as in a pot. Summer Crush Hydrangea is easy to care for and will tolerate most types of soil except highly alkaline ones. It needs a few hours of direct sunlight, but a full day of direct sun is contraindicated.

A big advantage of this hydrangea is the good stem strength and as a result, there is no trouble with the bush falling apart during a strong wind.

Magical Ruby Red Hydrangea

Magical Ruby Red is another wonderful hydrangea with large red flower clusters. It blooms from late spring to the second half of summer providing its owners with an amazing view. It has a large number of flower buds that turn into flowers, which is an advantage over other bigleaf hydrangeas.

It reaches a height of 3 feet and a width of 4 feet, which means it is rounded and slightly flattened at the top. Its compact size allows it to grow almost anywhere. You do not have to worry about pruning. All you need to do is remove the faded flowers to make room for new blooms.

Magical Ruby Red is hardy and can grow in zones 5-9. It needs shade from the mid-day sun and regular watering during dry weather.

Cityline Paris Hydrangea

Cityline Paris is a unique hydrangea that has red flowers and large rounded inflorescences. Against the dark green foliage, the flowers look delightful.

This variety is very compact as it usually reaches a height of up to 2 feet and a width of up to 3 feet. This allows it to be grown in a very small space.

In order to thrive and grow well it needs 4-6 hours of direct sunshine in the morning and a good amount of shade in the afternoon. If there is not enough light, the flowers will be few. And if there is too much sun, the color will be pale.

Cityline Paris does not need pruning. Water it as soon as the soil is 2 inches dry and fertilize twice a year.

Fire Light Hydrangea

Fire Light belongs to the panicle hydrangeas and has elongated red inflorescences. The color can vary from reddish white to bright red. This hydrangea usually blooms in early summer and continues to do so until the end of summer.

You will want to keep in mind that this is a rather large variety. It reaches eight feet in height and the same in width. You will need to allow at least 4 feet from the center of the shrub in a circle to grow it successfully.

Fire Light has good hardiness and can be grown in USDA hardiness zones of 3 through 8. There is usually no problem with branch cracking in any climate.

This hydrangea tolerates planting in the full sun very well. Can also tolerate partial shade but not full shade.

Wee Bit Grumpy Hydrangea

Wee Bit Grumpy is a great hydrangea that can be bright red if the soil is neutral or alkaline. In acidic soils, the color may change to purple, so if red flowers are your goal, keep the soil pH >6.5.

This is a fairly compact hydrangea that is 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The bush shape is spherical so does not require pruning, except for trimming dead flower heads.

Excellent frost tolerance allows this variety to be grown almost all over the United States. Can tolerate morning sun but needs shade in the afternoon. Does not tolerate full shade well.

Needs nutritious soil and fertilizer twice a year for abundant flowering.

Quick Fire Fab Hydrangea

Quick Fire Fab is a very interesting hydrangea whose panicles can be red, white, or pink. If you plant this plant in your yard you will get flowers that change throughout the season.

This variety belongs to the early blooming panicle hydrangeas. It starts blooming in early summer and lasts until the end of summer.

It is very hardy and can be grown in zones 3-8. It does not need to be covered for the winter and does not need extra care for overwintering.

This hydrangea blooms on new wood so you can cut it at any time of year except during flowering.

Tuff Stuff Red Hydrangea

Tuff Stuff Red belongs to the species Hydrangea Serrata, which means that in addition to beautiful flowers it has beautiful toothed leaves. The flowers are pink-red in color and sometimes their center can be yellow. Flowers in clusters do not bloom simultaneously resulting in a very interesting combination of open and dormant flowers.

This hydrangea is very compact, averaging about 2 feet tall and wide. That means you can grow it anywhere, even in small pots.

Excellent hardiness and the ability to grow in full sun all day make this hydrangea a good alternative to many other red varieties. Also a definite advantage of Tuff Stuff Red Hydrangea is that there is no need for pruning.

A slight disadvantage is the dependence of color on the acidity of the soil. For the red color, keep the soil always neutral.

Invincibelle Ruby Hydrangea

Invincibelle Ruby is a red-flowered hydrangea that has flattened flower heads. The petal in the center is light red and the edge is deep red, which looks very beautiful against the bright green foliage.

This hydrangea blooms on new wood so it can be pruned at almost any time of year. It starts flowering in early summer and blooms again in the second half of summer.

Invincibelle Ruby is a compact hydrangea, it grows up to 4 feet tall and 3 wide. Ideal for small yards or potted cultivation.

This hydrangea can grow well in full sun all day as well as in partial shade. In the full shade it will be uncomfortable and most likely will not bloom at all.

Red Sensation Hydrangea

Red Sensation fully lives up to its name as its scarlet flowers are a real sensation. The picture is complemented by large inflorescences in which the flowers are gathered.

This variety blooms on both old and new wood, so it can be cut at any time. Although pruning this hydrangea is almost unnecessary as it is no more than 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide.

It tolerates the climate of most states well. It is also not demanding of soil types. But it needs enough moisture to thrive, so it needs watering in dry weather.

The only drawback is Red Sensation’s need for partial shade. This hydrangea is not capable of growing in full sun all day.

Everlasting Crimson Ruby Hydrangea

Everlasting Crimson Ruby Hydrangea is known for its dark crimson color of flowers. It looks very effective because of its small size and very large flower heads.

This hydrangea blooms on last year’s and this year’s wood. In addition, the number of flower buds is large. As a result, flowering lasts all summer and this is an unquestionable advantage compared to other varieties.

It easily tolerates the climate of zones 5-9. This variety grows up to 3 feet tall and wide. The stems are very sturdy and don’t fall down under the weight of the flowers.

Good for planting with tall plants because it needs some shade. If Everlasting Crimson Ruby grows in full sun all day it can get burns or the color will be pale.

Diamond Rouge Hydrangea

Diamond Rouge Hydrangea has huge panicles 15 inches long! Their color is white at the beginning, but gradually they change to pink and then to red.

This hydrangea is highly frost-resistant and can be grown in zones 3-8. It does not fear late frosts as it blooms on new wood and the flower buds are never damaged.

Diamond Rouge is 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide so it can be grown in very small gardens. It can be difficult to grow in containers.

Since this variety belongs to the panicle hydrangeas, it can tolerate full sun. The exception is in zone 8, where the partial shade will be an advantage for this hydrangea. If you want to get abundant flowering you should never plant it in full shade.

Cherry Explosion Hydrangea

Cherry Explosion Hydrangea as the name suggests has red-cherry color flowers. It looks delightful along with the dark green foliage. It blooms on old and new wood in abundance.

Recommended for growing in zones 4-9. In zones 4 and 5 need winter mulching and a wind-protected location. Also in colder climates, it may not bloom on the new wood but only on old wood.

This variety grows well in the half-shade. In northern states, it can tolerate planting in full sun, but in zones 7-9, it needs shade from the afternoon sun.

Cherry Explosion Hydrangea is compact in size, its height and width usually not exceeding 4 feet. It also has sturdy stems and is not afraid of heavy snowfall.

Invincibelle Garnetta Hydrangea

Invincibelle Garnetta has very beautiful flowers that combine pink and red at the same time. The clusters of flowers are slightly flattened and look very harmonious with the green foliage.

This hydrangea blooms on new wood from summer until fall. Many gardeners leave the flower heads on over the winter which adds interest to the garden.

Invincibelle Garnetta grows 30 inches tall and wide, which means it is a dwarf hydrangea. You don’t need to cut it back to reduce its size. The only thing to do is to remove dead branches.

This variety has excellent frost and sun resistance. It can be grown from zone 3 and up to zone 8. It is also excellent in full sun as well as partial shade.

Fire and Ice Panicle Hydrangea

Fire and Ice is a panicle hydrangea that is white at the beginning of the season, then turns pink and then red. The inflorescences are elongated and large and can provide you with an unforgettable spectacle for most of the season.

It can grow in zones 3-8 without cover. In addition, it is not afraid of snowfall because of its sturdy stems.

This variety is medium-sized, it can be up to 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide. If you are looking for a dwarf hydrangea, you may want to consider the other varieties above.

The disadvantages include the inability to grow this variety in full sun all day. The best place to plant Fire and Ice is in filtered sun.

Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea

Ruby Slippers is a very beautiful hydrangea that has panicle-like inflorescences. Its color is light pink to red, the panicle can be colored in two colors at the same time.

This variety grows more in width than in height. It can be up to 5 feet wide and 3 feet tall. When placed properly, it requires little or no pruning. Its stems are very sturdy and can hold the weight of large inflorescences even in heavy rain.

Ruby Slippers is hardy enough to be grown in zones 5 through 9. The slight disadvantage is its poor tolerance of full sun all day. It will be better if you plant it in a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade.

It tolerates almost all types of soil well, although changing the soil with organic matter would be an advantage. Watering is mandatory in hot weather and drought.