Comments on: Shooting star hydrangea

By: Linda C

Linda C — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:03:37 +0000

My husband just received a shooting star hydrangea for father’s day. We placed it outside on our patio, sun in the am and shade in the afternoon. If I bring it in this winter and place it in the basement (no windows), do I still water it, or should I move it to a room with some light? Thank you.

HI Linda
When temperatures get colder and the plant leaves start to turn brown and drop, then bring it in and place in the basement. Keep it in a dormant stage just moist enough to keep the roots from drying out. Water once a month. If in a room with light, it will continue to grow and produce spindly growth. Hydrangeas need a cool, dormant(resting) period. Shooting star cannot tolerate below freezing temps.

By: Jamie Fisher

Jamie Fisher — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:30:58 +0000

Hi I live on the gulf coast and my Shooting Star Hydrangea is in a flower pot and doing great! What I would like to know is how do I take cuttings and make new plants? Thank you

Some plants have patents on their cultivar and prohibit asexual propagation. I'm not sure about "Shooting Star" hydrangea. See propagating hydrangea for taking cuttings.

By: Judi Bryant

Judi Bryant — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:59:06 +0000

I live in Boone NC and received a Shooting Star Hydrangea last Christmas. I want to plant it outside. If I do so in a protected area that gets morning sun and is shady in the afternoon; is that a good location for it. Also, is it deciduous? Will it be bothered if we have snow in the winter that collects on it?

HI Judi
Boone, NC hardy zone is 6a-7a. It should be fine in a protected area with morning sun, afternoon shade. It will drop its leaves in winter and tolerate snow accumulation.

By: Wanda Engebretson

Wanda Engebretson — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:53:41 +0000

I have a Shooting Star hydrangea that the blooms have all turned brown, but it is still shooting blossoms out. How do I prune the dead ones and how far down do I dare to cut them back without damaging the plant. The leaves are still green and new shoots are coming in from the bottom. Its in the house all the time.

Hi Wanda You can cut off the dead flowers and then some. The further down you cut the shorter and more compact the plant will be.You don't mention how tall the shooting star is. If necessary, you could cut it back by 1/3 at the most. It will send new growth from previous (mature wood) growth on lateral (side) shoots. Larger flowers are produced at the terminal (tip) of the stems. So, if you want larger flowers, trim off the dead flowers just under the base of the flower to leave the terminal bud.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:47:53 +0000

I live in Michigan. I bought a shooting star Aug 2008. It was beautiful for a long time. then I let it get too dry. The blooms turned brown, so I picked them all off. the leaves looked okay. I’ve been watering regularly, but now the leaves are turning yellow. I have new growth at the botton that looks very healthy. Not sure what to do with it. Does it need to be cut back, or put in a bigger pot? It’s inside all the time, I do move it around the house once or twice a week so it can get better light coming through the windows. Any help would be great, I don’t want to lose it.

Hi Andrea
Your shooting star hydrangea is going semi-dormant. It’s trying to rest before a new growing season starts. Let the leaves drop and you will be left with bare stems and buds along the stem. These buds will produce new growth in spring. Keep it in a cooler area(basement) and reduce watering-keeping the soil from completely drying out. In spring, trim back the stems, if they are dried up/dead , otherwise leave the plant as is and repot it into a larger container if necessary.

By: Melanie

Melanie — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:09:40 +0000

I have a shooting star hydrangea, but cannot get it to bloom again. It was in full bloom when I bought it last year, but since then – nothing. Leaves are still very healthy. It is indoors to guard against the cold. Any info would be helpful!!

Hi Melanie
If you bought a blooming shooting star last year at this time (Nov.) then it was forced to bloom in the greenhouse. It most likely is going to grow as all other hydrangeas and bloom in early summer. I have a potted lacecap hydrangea that I left dormant for the winter. It lost all its leaves and I kept it dry and cool. It leafed out nicely in spring and then to my surprise started to bloom. I enjoyed the flowers for several months. I’m not sure what your plant will do. Your plant may also need a dormant period in order to rebloom.

By: Jesse Hilton

Jesse Hilton — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:52:41 +0000

I have a shooting Star Hyrangea. I live in the costal south, some 35 miles northwest of Savannah Georgia. I don’t know my zone, but need to know if it will survive the heat here. Thank you.

Hi Jesse
Shooting Star Hydrangea is hardy in zone 7-9. You are in zone 8/9, it should do well in GA. Just make sure you plant it in a semi-shaded area to help keep it cool during the hot summer.

By: Kris

Kris — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:47:11 +0000

I bought an expensive shooting star hydrangea. it was rootbound, so transplanted. i think that i may have overwatered, so i replanted again. still has some previos flowers but the buds have all turned brown. please help. my husbands fav and think i ruined it thank you i advance

Give your hydrangea time to recover from transplanting. Let it dry out between watering. It is best not to transplant when the plant is in bloom or producing blooms. Better to wait till it is done blooming before disturbing the plant. The buds have turned brown because the plant is stressed out and can now longer support the flowers.

By: Kris

Kris — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:41:21 +0000

Patti ( pattijomcd@insightbb.com / )
I bought a hydrangea plant in a Publix grocery store in Florida. It was called Shooting Star Lacecap white flowers with side shooting white starlike blooms around the edge. I brought it home to Illinois, potted it in a larger pot. It has round white powdery spots on the leaves, maybe mildew? The pics of powdery mildew I’ve seen dust the whole leaf. These are spots on top of leaf between 1/4 and 3/8 inch in diameter. I bought the only plant that didn’t have a tag on it, dang it.

Lacecap hydrangea is not hardy in Illinois and should be grown as a container plant. Powdery mildew starts as spots and then the mycelium sends out threadlike organs that eventually spread and cover the leaf.

By: Kris

Kris — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:38:31 +0000

I have a Shooting Star Hydrangea and I need to know if it is a hardy perennial that I can plant outside. I live in Ohio, and some winters get very cold. Thank You!

Hi Lace Cap Hydrangea "Shooting Star" belongs to H. macrophylla species. It is hardy to zone 7 ( O degrees F). The best you can do is to plant it in a container, leave it outdoors for the summer (morning sun/aft. shade) and then bring it indoors/garage for the winter.