Plant Profile: Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy'

Names

Hydrangea, Lemon Daddy Hydrangea

  • Photo of Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy's)

Phonetic Spelling:

Genus:Hydrangea

Species:macrophylla

Family:Hydrangeaceae

The Lemon Daddy Hydrangea is a compact shrub that features vibrant yellow to chartreuse leaves, reaching heights and widths of 3 to 4 feet. During the summer, it produces large, eye-catching clusters of white flowers that transition to light pink or blue, depending on the soil's pH level—blue hues appear in more acidic conditions. This plant blooms on both old and new wood, ensuring a continuous display of flowers throughout the summer months.

For optimal growth, it thrives in well-drained, humus-rich soils and prefers partial sun to dappled shade. This versatile shrub is ideal for use as a specimen plant, in hedges, as part of foundation plantings, or as an accent in garden designs.

For further details on Hydrangea macrophylla, please refer to additional resources.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' Feature Summary

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' Image Gallery

Tags

#showy flowers
#deciduous
#specimen
#pink flowers
#partial sun
#deciduous shrub
#blue flowers
#showy leaves
#accent plant
#dappled shade
#hedges
#dried flowers
#summer flowers
#foundation planting
#borders
#partial shade tolerant

Similar Plants

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' Feature Summary

Flowers
Up to 12-inch across rounded clusters of 4 petaled flowers that mature to pink or blue depending on soil pH. Blooms mid to late summer.
Pink
White
Blue
Showy
Long Bloom Season
Good Dried
4-5 petals/rays
< 1 inch
Leaves
Broadly ovate 4- 5.5 inch yellow to chartreuse leaves with serrated margins
Green
Gold/Yellow
3-6 inches
Glossy
Leathery
3-6 inches
Bark
Smooth brown bark
Light Brown
Poisonous to Humans
nausea, sweating, vomiting
Hydrangin, a cyanogenic glycoside.
Leaves
Stems
Flowers
Attributes
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
High Organic Matter
Landscape
Cutting Garden
Cottage Garden
English Garden
Asian Garden
Shade Garden
Border
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Accent
Specimen
Patio
Small Space

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' Flowers

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Flower Description

Up to 12-inch across rounded clusters of 4 petaled flowers that mature to pink or blue depending on soil pH. Blooms mid to late summer.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Flower Color

filter_vintage
Blue
filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
White

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' Leaves

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Leaf Description

Broadly ovate 4- 5.5 inch yellow to chartreuse leaves with serrated margins

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Leaf Color

spa
Gold/Yellow
spa
Green

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Hairs Present

No
Yes

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' Bark

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Bark Description

Smooth brown bark

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Bark Color

grass
Light Brown

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' Poisonous to Humans

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Poison Symptoms

nausea, sweating, vomiting

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Poison Toxic Principle

Hydrangin, a cyanogenic glycoside.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Poison Part

Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' Attributes

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' Whole Plant Traits

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' Cultural Conditions

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' Stem

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' Landscape

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy': Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland