Pink Diamond is a beautiful Hydrangea with panicle flowers that open white and then turn interesting shades of pink. This hydrangea can grow as tall as 12′ but it is also very easy to maintain as low as 30″ if that’s what you want. I can assure you, the ones in my landscape will never grow taller than 36″. They respond to pruning quite nicely.
Facts about this amazing plant;
- It is hardy in zones 3 through 8.
- It loves full sun but will also tolerate partial shade.
- It starts blooming in July and will still be in bloom in September.
- Can easily be trained into a tree hydrangea.
- Because it’s in the paniculata family of Hydrangeas it is a very dependable bloomer.
Panniculata Hydrangeas bloom on current years growth. That means that they start putting on new growth in the spring, then come mid summer they stop growing and start making a flower bud on the end of each new branch.
Because they make the flower bud in the summer and the bloom opens immediately, the flower bud never sees cold weather. That’s not the case with many of the macrophylla hydrangeas Like Nikko Blue.
Pink Diamond Hydrangea is very easy to propagate. You can do Softwood Cuttings in late spring or early summer. Or you can do hardwood cuttings in late winter/early spring.
Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I will respond.
Until then, by any and all means stay inspired!
Bev Alfonse says
First of all, you look great! I loved the donkey video, I was LMAO!
Shannon says
Hi I planted 3 Pink Diamond Hydrangeas late May and they are all blooming white. When can I expect them to turn pink and is it possible to turn them blue? Also, I live in NB, Canada, and wondered when I should be pruning them as I don’t want them to get overly large. Thanks!😊
Mike says
Shannon,
As the blooms age they will turn pink. Blue? No, wrong kind of hydrangea for that. You can prune them as much as you want when the blooms are spent. If you cut them back hard in the fall they’ll look great next year.
Burnie says
I have new pink diamond hydrangea,planted in July, we had a wind storm and not able to get branches to straighten. It is a tree form of six ft. Can I cut off blooms to lessen weight.
Thank you
Burnie from Ontario Canada
Mike says
Burnie,
Absolutely, prune it all you want, it will respond well.
Hannah says
Hi Mike,
Last summer I planted three pink diamond hydrangeas. They haven’t grown much, if any, since I planted them. However, they do appear to be healthy and are starting to flower now. Any tips on what I can do to help my hydrangeas grow larger?
Mike says
Hannah,
I say just be patient with them. If they are not growing well then the soil must not be great. You can fertilize with something organic, that will improve the soil. But I like to say that plants know what to do and they do it just fine when we leave them alone.
Brendan says
Hi Mike,
You mentioned in one of your 2020 videos that ‘Limelight’ hydrangea will soon be coming off of patent. Do you know when it will be free to propagate, and also if the name ‘Limelight’ will still be under trademark? Thanks.
Mike says
Brendan,
I’ll preface this by saying this; I’m a dirt farmer, not an attorney, and most definitely not a patent attorney. I will share with you what I’ve heard, not necessarily what is fact. I honestly can’t say for sure, never researched it myself. But our members tell me that Limelight comes off patent this April of 2021. You can check that against the plant patent database. I’m also told that the name limelight is not a trademark and is actually part of the botanical name. Hhere is the link to the patent office, you have to put the pp and the number to get its info.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=Pp10000&FIELD1=&co1=AND&TERM2=&FIELD2=&d=PTXT
use this link http://patft.uspto.gov/ to get to the Patent Database. On the left side select the Advanced Search option ( http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtm…..ch-adv.htm ) Then in the box for Query [Help] type in the name of the plant you are searching for. Just remember to put your query or plant name in double quotation marks. Example “hydrangea plant” then hit the search button. Do that and you will get a total of 341 hydrangea plant names listed somewhere in the database. They will be grouped in sets of 50 per page in the order of their issue dates. Just go through all the pages to see if the one you are looking for is there.
You must remember to always put your query inside double quotation marks so the search function knows to look for those words.
Joan says
Mike,
Just found your site: thank you for all this interesting information!
I tried to ask a question on our local hort Q&A radio show this morning, as a first hard frost arrives in 36 hours, down to 28°.
I saw that you recommend transplanting shrubs and trees when dormant, after frost. For “Endless Summer” hydrangeas (Macrophylla) that are two years old and have never bloomed for me (didn’t cover first two seasons, some too-shaded, lots of deer and rabbit browsing), can I transplant now before the frost, or wait until after two nights of frost when it will warm again a bit? I am in zone 5b, Central Iowa.
Thanks very much!!!
Joan
Mike says
Joan,
I’d wait until they are dormant and either defoliated or have at least experienced several hours of temps of 28 F. or below. You need a hard freeze, not a frost to trigger them into dormancy.
Joan says
Thanks very much, Mike.
Stephanie R says
Greetings, Mike. I recently found your page. Love it! Wondering if you might be able to direct me to locate a list of Dwarf Hydrangeas that are NOT PATENT that I could attempt to propagate and sell. Thank you.
Mike says
Stephanie,
See this; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2019/03/non-patented-public-domain-plants-that-you-should-be-free-to-propagate/
Paul Herger says
Mike,
have 2 hydrangeas both flowering when I got them, haven’t flowered since (2yrs). Both are getting about 6-8 hrs of afternoon sun. Thanks
Mike says
Paul,
Don’t fertilize them, just let them grow and they should bloom.
Cindy Sobels says
Hi Mike is the pink Diamond closely related to the Pinky Winky? They look identical i have the Pinky winky and Love it
Mike says
Cindy,
Pinky Winky is very similar to pink diamond but the name Pinky Winky is a registered trademark so a grower like me could not grow and sell it using that name. Pink Diamond is not protected in that way and we are free to propagate and grow it.
Laura says
Hi Mike, Someone stole my crepe Myrtle! It was a young tree that flowered for the first time this year; planted in the grass strip between the sidewalk and the street. Someone came during the night and dug it up. Looking at the hole, it appears that the tree had shallow roots. I don’t want to replace it with another crepe Myrtle for some tree thief to make off with all my efforts. Can you recommend a tree with deep, strong roots that would do well in Maryland? Thank you!
Mike says
Laura,
My first thought is Dogwood or Weeping Redbud. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2012/03/lavender-twist-weeping-redbud-tree/
April says
I always learn something from your posts. You are an inspiration and I can fairly say that you’ve made me a better gardener, though I still have lots of improving to do. Thanks, Mike!
Mike says
Thank you for your kind words.
Marycatherine says
Hi Mike, could you please show a video on how to prune an hydrangae? I have a white snow that turns pink and a blue one that turns purple. I don’t know how far to prune them back or exactly when to prune – fall or early spring? Help me. I love your newsletters.
Mike says
Marycatherine,
See this; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2012/07/hydrangea-pruning-made-easy/
Carmen Doré says
Thank you Mike for continuing to share your profound knowledge, experience and gardening wisdom with us. I just happen to have purchased 2 Pink Diamond Hydrangeas trees last year and have started 3 new plants by rooting the suckers into the soil which I’ll cut away from the main tree at some point (fall or spring?) I’m nearing 65, love gardening and have successfully experimented propagating flowers, trees and shrubs thanks your advice and suggestions . I’m looking forward to my retirement that will allow me more time to turn my love of gardening into a possible part time income venture guided by your various ideas and recommendations. Keep up the great work you do Mike! Carmen from Kakabeka Falls, Ontario, Canada
Mike says
Thank you Carmen! We have some Canadian members that are having a blast doing this!
AKope says
Do you habe any cuttings of pink diamond you would like to sell/ship USA?
Anita says
We have two of the Pink Diamond Hydrangeas that are in tree form just off our deck in the back yard. They are absolutely gorgeous every year! And at a time when other things have begun to fade or stopped blooming. My husband purchased them 15 years ago when we first moved into our house and he didn’t even have a clue what he was doing-just thought they looked like a good buy! It was a lucky thing for us! I’m wondering if you can tell us how to train them into tree form after we have propagated them. Just would like a couple more. I love your posts, Mike, and fell like you are a good buddy! Thank you!
Mike says
Anita, see this; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2014/04/how-to-grow-train-flowering-hydrangea-shrubs-into-tree-hydrangeas/
Ruth Summersides says
Hi Mike,
You are so full of good advice thank you.
Are the pink diamond hydrangeas available in Canada?
And if you have time to answer, could you tell me how to take a cutting from a truly Giant Fleece Flower ( 7ft high and 6ft wide) I can not find any simple advice anywhere on this subject.
Thanks a lot.
Best wishes
Ruth S.
Mike says
Ruth,
I would think that Pink Diamond Hydrangea should be available in Canada. See this about the cutting; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
Terri S Masztak says
Do you still have the oink diamond in stock for 6.97 or an I dreaming?
Mike says
Terri,
I did have some at $6.97 this summer but they are all gone for now. I’ll have more in the future, probably later next summer.
Elaa says
Hi Mike!, I I’ve learned a lot from you and my black thumb is beginning to show some green, thanks to you. Would I have to wait until next summer to order the pink diamond from by your nursery, can it be put on back order and how do I do that? It’s the only hydrangea my husband has shown any enthusiasm for.! It’s so beautiful and NO ONE in my neighborhood has anything like it!
Mike says
Elaa,
If you could find them you could order and plant them now but I don’t ship plants. I’m just not set up for that.
Sur says
The pink diamond sounds really nice. Where can I buy some? I enjoy your post.
Learned a lot.
Mike says
Sur,
You’ll have to do some searching. I do see them available in our members area from time to time. http://backyardgrowers.com/join
Tom Chace says
Top o’ the morning to you Mike, You must know you have been an inspiration to many thousands of plant and flower lovers. Please stay healthy and do not change until it is time for the next chapter in your very generous and honest life. You sure appear to be one wonderful human being. I have been spent many a day working the soil for many hours planting and trans-planting and loving every minute of it. I always have music playing. It sure makes the time go by more pleasingly. Life is beautiful thanks to people like you who are so genuinely thoughtful. I am 81 and am a big fan of Mike McGroaty. God bless!
Tom Chace says
Hello Mike, I just wanted to thank you for all the good work you have done for all the average Americans who love playing in the dirt. Good clean fun! I am 81 and a nature enthusiast. Bless you. Tom from Warwick,RI.
Mike says
Thank you Tom, I appreciate that.
Mike says
Thank you Tom for your kind words.
Jan Brien says
I say in these weird times…Thank God for gardening!
Tamara Boger says
Amen to that!!