Jogasaki Fireworks Hydrangea

Jogasaki Fireworks Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Jogasaki') is a lacecap hydrangea that grows to about 1.5m tall and wide, with flat starry flower heads in which every petal ends in a point. Colour swings between blue and pink with your soil, and the whole plant is very cold hardy. It has a lighter, more delicate look than a mophead.

Why you'll love it

• A starry lacecap flower. Each petal tapers to a point, so the heads look like fireworks caught mid burst, a finer effect than ball-shaped mopheads.
• Colour set by your soil. Soil below about pH 5 grows blue heads, while soil between pH 6 and 7 gives mauve, pink and even red tones.
• Very cold hardy. A natural choice for Canberra, the Southern Highlands, the alpine towns and other gardens where winter bites.
• A manageable pace. It grows at a measured rate rather than rampantly, so it stays in scale with a mixed bed for years.
• Spring and summer flowers. The heads arrive in spring and carry through summer, set off by large soft green leaves.

Where it works best

Mixed beds. Plant 1.2m apart in rich soil among azaleas, camellias and ferns, where the lacecap heads show against darker foliage.

Large containers. Use a pot at least 50cm across, watered often, for a plant that sits on a terrace or by a doorway.

Cool climate gardens. It is the hydrangea to pick where hard winters rule out more tender shrubs, and it does well on the cooler side of the house.

Growing Jogasaki Fireworks Hydrangea in Australia

Position and climate. Choose a partly shaded position with morning sun. It is at its best in cool temperate and warm temperate gardens. In subtropical gardens, give deep afternoon shade and plenty of water. It is deciduous and hardy when dormant.

Soil. Rich, moist, well-drained soil with plenty of compost. Mulch to keep the roots cool. Test your pH if the shade of the flowers matters, because soil decides whether they come out blue, mauve or pink.

Water and feed. Water regularly for the first 8 to 12 weeks until established, and generously through dry periods. Feed once with a slow release fertiliser as growth starts in spring.

Pruning. Next summer's buds sit on last year's stems, so site it where it has space to grow and keep cutting to a minimum. Snip off spent blooms above a pair of healthy leaves, and take out only dead or weak stems. All parts are toxic if eaten.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Jogasaki Fireworks Hydrangea as tube stock and in 200mm pots in packs of 6. Tube stock is a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly, growing leaves and roots first, so flowering builds over the first couple of seasons. The 200mm pots give you a bigger plant to start with. Unpack on arrival, water well and plant in the cool of the day.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse all hydrangeas
• Hydrangea colour, planting and pruning explained
• Plants for cool climates
• More deciduous shrubs

Common questions

What colour will mine flower?

That depends on your soil. Acid soil gives blue, neutral to alkaline soil gives mauve, pink or even red, and the colour can shift a little from year to year.

How is a lacecap different from a mophead?

A lacecap has a flat head with a centre of tiny true flowers ringed by larger petals, while a mophead is a full ball. Lacecaps look lighter and more open, and many gardeners prefer them for that reason.

Does it need protecting from frost?

No. It is very cold hardy when dormant. Only a hard late frost on new spring shoots might need a covering of frost cloth.