What's with the 'hydrangea hysteria'? This is why they're so vibrant this summer

Those vibrant clusters of petals that hydrangeas are known for, ranging in color from white and blue to pink and lavender, are unmistakable during the summer season.

But this year has brought an especially stunning display of these bright flowering plants from New England and all the way down to the East Coast, causing what is referred to as "hydrangea hysteria."

"The overall statement is that they are absolutely superb, fantastic — put any exclamation point you want on it. This is by far the best, I would say, of the last 20 years, which is kind of how long I've been observing them," said Lorraine Ballato, instructor and resident hydrangea expert at the New York Botanical Garden.

Why are these beautiful shrubs — which have typically always bloomed across our region this time each year — so much more vivid and lively this season? You can thank months of heavy rainfall and a mild winter.

How weather created this summer's bright hydrangea bloom

There are several kinds of these plants, including oak leaf and panicle hydrangeas. But those pompom-like hydrangeas that we recognize the most are big-leaf hydrangeas, which Ballato said is the species that is most impacted by the weather.

These plants require an abundance of water and struggle in freezing temperatures, which can make their blooming patterns unpredictable at times. Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, owner of Twig & Vine Design in Montclair, said this type of hydrangea also forms their flower buds the previous year to when they bloom — known as "blooming on old wood" — so there's a lot of time for different weather factors to impact them.

Fortunately though, precipitation levels were well above average last year and much of the region experienced a mild winter, which resulted in the perfect conditions for hydrangeas to thrive.

This is in contrast to the late season winter storms that our region has been experiencing, which Ballato said had resulted in the buds of these plants freezing off over the last several years.

"If you had a field of Lily bulbs, for example, they would have rotted out because of the rain. But hydrangeas take in all the water they can get, and they move it through the vascular system," she said. "What it was are those mild winter temperatures, the rain was helpful and then we had this nice, even temperature spring. Those three factors made all the difference in these plants."

Despite the extreme temperatures much of the Northeast is experiencing, Corhan-Aitken said the stems of her hydrangeas are remaining strong. She said that even the flowers she cuts from the plant have been lasting longer inside her home than they typically would.

And when it comes to these plants wilting, Ballato said they tend to change color as they age throughout the season. This also plays a role in the summer's robust hydrangea bloom because many are not seeing their plants turn into an unattractive color.

"The nice thing about this one is the flowers don't go brown. In a season where they have the right kind of conditions, what they do is change color and morph into different colors," Ballato said. "There's something in hydrangea land called antique season, and that's when the flowers take on a very dark hue."

How to keep your hydrangeas looking bright for the rest of the season

Because hydrangeas are in bloom from the late spring to early fall, between about May and September, there's still plenty of time to enjoy their beauty before they're gone. But you have to make sure you're maintaining them properly.

Corhan-Aitken said you can do this by making sure you consistently water the plants, especially on hot days. This will prevent the soil from drying out and from the plants dying too soon.

Ballato said you can also prune your plants, removing any excess branches, leaves and roots that might be overshadowing the vibrant petals. Make sure you do this before their new flower buds set in the late fall, she said.

"Beyond that, it's really up to the weather gods," Corhan-Aitken said. "It's really, really weather dependent, and hopefully it treats them well again so we can have another nice bloom."

Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay, on X @maddiemcgayy, and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at MMcGay@gannett.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hydrangea hysteria: Why these plants are so vibrant this summer