Everything You Need to Know
About Pop Star® Hydrangea

Blue hydrangea blooms from Pop Star hydrangea

Giving you more blooms in less room, Pop Star® Reblooming Hydrangea is a new bigleaf hydrangea that is sure to bring showstopping beauty to your landscape. Joining the Endless Summer® collection, which is known for their ability to bloom and rebloom, disease resistance, and versatility in the landscape, Pop Star® is a compact hydrangea that brings unique texture and brilliant color to large and small landscapes alike. Here is everything you need to know about Pop Star®, and all the reasons why you’ll fall in love.

The Color!

Pop Star® bursts with electric blue blooms when planted in acidic soil and blazes with bring pink blooms when planted in alkaline soil. This means you can change the bloom color to fit your desired color palette and design aesthetic. Whether you prefer warm or cool tones in the garden, Pop Star® has you covered! Need help changing the color of your Pop Star®? Watch our video explaining hydrangea soil science!

The Blooms!

Pop Star® is a compact bigleaf hydrangea that blooms like nothing you’ve seen before! Pop Star® is covered in blooms all season long and is quick to rebloom, meaning you can enjoy more flowers throughout the season. And speaking of those blooms, have you noticed how the blooms look different than other hydrangeas you may be used to? That’s because Pop Star® is a lacecap hydrangea. This style of bloom adds unique texture to the landscape which you can play with when designing your garden. As an added benefit, the flat blooms feature an exposed fertile center where pollen exists in the flower. Therefore, this bloom in irresistible to bees, butterflies, and other garden pollinators!

The Compact Size!

Growing to only 18-36 inches tall and wide, Pop Star® is the perfect size for use in decorative containers, along a garden border, or as a focal point in the landscape. Try planting Pop Star® in a decorative container to bring dazzling color to your patio, porch, or deck. Or, plant a few along a garden path to create an enviable low hedge. Pop Star® truly proves that a plant doesn’t have to be large to make a big impact.

Watch our video to learn everything there is to know about this new hydrangea! 
Keep your Pop Star® happy and healthy by following these planting and care tips!

How to Plant Pop Star®

The versatility of Pop Star® means you can plant this hydrangea both in the landscape and in decorative containers.

Follow these steps when planting Pop Star® in the landscape:

  1. Select a site: Make sure the site accommodates Pop Star® at its mature size of 16-36 inches tall and wide, receives morning sun and afternoon shade, and the soil is well-drained and rich in nutrients. If needed, amend your soil at this time.
  1. Get digging: Dig a hole that is slightly larger than the pot your plant came in and deep enough so the base of where the plant meets the soil is flush to the ground. Once dug, place your plant in the middle and fill in with soil.
  1. Water: Using a garden hose, give your new Pop Star® a good soak at the base of the plant. Let the water soak in and then water it once more.

Follow these tips when planting Pop Star® in decorative containers:

  1. Pick a container: Make sure you container is at least larger than the one Pop Star® came in and has drainage holes in the bottom. A container that’s around 15-18 inches wide should do the trick.
  1. Fill the container: Use potting mix to fill up your container and place Pop Star® in the center, making sure the soil line is a couple of inches below the top of the container. Once placed, fill up the side with potting soil so the soil lines match.
  1. Water: Using a garden hose, water at the base of the shrub. Let the water drain through and then soak it once again.
How to Water Pop Star®

Pop Star® loves water but does not love when it’s overwatered. Here are tips on how to water Pop Star® to make sure it’s healthy and hydrated all season:

  • Check the soil before watering and only water if the soil is dry.
  • Water the ground underneath the entire width of the stems, which is called the dripline, and not just at the base. Avoid watering over the top of the blooms and leaves.
  • Water in the morning to allow the water to soak into the soil and roots before the warmest part of the day
  • Give your plant a good even soak. It’s better to water deeply and less frequently than watering a little bit every day.
  • If you have a Pop Star® that’s planted in a container, those tend to dry out quicker than those in the landscape. So, check the soil every day and water only when it’s dry. Watch this video for tips on watering Pop Star® in a container.
How to Fertilize Pop Star®

Pop Star® is a naturally blooming machine, but applying fertilizer at certain times of the year can help get those blooms going. Keep these tips in mind when fertilizing:

  • Use a bloom boosting, slow-release, granular fertilizer.
  • Follow the directions on the packaging for how much to apply and where.
  • Apply once in early spring when you start seeing new green leafy growth and again in July to promote the rebloom.
How to Prune Pop Star®

Like all Endless Summer® hydrangeas, Pop Star® blooms on both old and new growth. Here are a few do’s and don’ts for pruning to help your Pop Star® bloom:

  • Do Deadhead: Deadheading is when you remove old blooms that are starting to fade. Doing this will help your plants use its energy to create new, beautiful blooms. To deadhead, take a pruner and cut the bloom off just below the flower and above the next set of leaves. This can be done throughout the summer, but you should stop in mid-fall. Watch this video for tips on how to deadhead Pop Star®.
  • Don’t Prune: Pop Star® never needs pruning to keep its share or to help it bloom. If you do prune, you might miss out on next year’s early season blooms that are being set on your plant this year. So, keep it easy and don’t prune your Pop Star. (However, if you do prune, wait until after Mother’s Day and after the green leaves have emerged, and only prune off the brown stems that didn’t survive winter)
Winter Protection for Pop Star®

Pop Star® is a cold hardy bigleaf hydrangea that is hardy through Zone 4. And while Pop Star® will survive those winters without any added help, there are some things you can do to help Pop Star® stay warm and cozy throughout the winter months. Here are winterizing tips for For Pop Star® planted in the landscape:

  • Water your plant until frost. When it starts going dormant and you see the leaves start to fall off, the snow and rain should be enough to keep it hydrated until next spring.
  • Insulate your plant by making a nice mound of oak leaves, mulch, or pine needles around the base of the plant. This will help protect the root from fluctuations in temperature.

Did you know you can winterize the Pop Star® you have planted in containers and save them for years to come? Follow these tips when winterizing your containers:

  • If you can move the container, place it in an unheated and protected space like a garage or shed.
  • If the container is too large to move, apply a thick layer of mulch around the base of the plant and wrap the sides of the container in a blanket.
  • Continue watering your container Pop Star®. You will only need about one cup of water a month to keep it hydrated. And, like you do when watering throughout the year, make sure you’re doing so at the base of the plant.
How to Buy This New Hydrangea

There are multiple ways you can buy this new hydrangea during the planting season. Use our Find a Retailer tool to quickly find a garden center near you that carries Endless Summer® Hydrangeas. When you’re at the store, be sure to ask for Endless Summer® Pop Star® hydrangea! You can also buy Pop Star® directly from us! Head to the Pop Star® page, pick what size plant you want, and get it shipped directly to you. For more details on shopping, be sure to check out our Hydrangea Buying Guide.

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