FRIDAY, JULY 5th – SUNDAY, JULY 14th

As part of the annual Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, we celebrate the iconic plant that makes the Cape so stunning from July through September. Enjoy fabulous photo opportunities as you stroll through the gardens and be sure not to miss two featured gardens which together make up the most comprehensive collection of hydrangeas in North America. The Cape Cod Hydrangea Society Display Garden boasts a collection of over 155 exceptional cultivars, around 60% of which are legacy varieties no longer in cultivation anywhere else. The North American Hydrangea Test Garden features over 240 of the newest varieties of hydrangeas being vigorously tested and evaluated here, growing alongside companion plants, providing garden design inspiration. Take a self-guided tour to discover more about this signature plant, learn to identify, select, and care for your hydrangeas from Cape Cod Hydrangea Society volunteers in the gardens, capture the beauty of the blooms during an art-making activity, and more! All extra hydrangea-focused activities are free with museum admission or membership. No advance registration required.

General Admission Tickets are date specific and are valid for entry any time between 10 am-4:30 pm. Heritage is open rain or shine, so don’t forget to dress for the elements!

Tickets include admission to:

  • The gardens, featuring collections of rhododendrons, hydrangeas, daylilies, and more (seasonal)
  • The Hidden Hollow outdoor discovery area
  • The Special Exhibitions Gallery, featuring the Impressionist New England: Four Seasons of Color and Light exhibit
  • The J.K. Lilly III Automobile Gallery, featuring the From Carriage to Classic: How Automobiles Transformed America and Charging Ahead: Early Electric Cars in America exhibits
  • The American Art & Carousel Gallery, featuring the Heritage Highlights exhibit and rides on the 1908 Looff carousel
  • The outdoor art exhibit Alfred Glover in the Garden (opening mid-May)
  • Wampanoag wetu, Three Sisters Garden, and mush8n
  • Outdoor features such as the McGraw Family Garden of the Senses, the Flume Fountain, the Hart Family Maze Garden, the labyrinth, walking trails, and more
  • Lilly’s Café
  • The Shop at Heritage in its new temporary location

Tickets can be pre-purchased online or upon arrival.

Hydrangea University is a separate fee.

To learn about the 2023 blooms, please see Mal’s video about the 2022 bloom season, which was similarly impacted by weather.

Hydrangea Video Series

Mal’s Favorites: Vanilla Strawberry & Lime Rickey

Mal’s Favorites: Endless Summer – hydrangea macrophylla + Pruning Tips

Mal’s Favorites: Bluebird– hydrangea serrata

Mal’s Favorites: Snowflake – hydrangea quercifolia

Mal’s Favorites: Lady in Red, Penny Mac & Twist-n-Shout – Hydrangea Macrophylla

Mal’s Favorite: Summer Crush

Hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla

A species found mainly in coastal regions of Japan. They do well in the Cape Cod maritime climate.

Colors range from white to pink, blue, or purple flowers, depending on the soil’s acidity. Blue flowers develop with acidic soil (a pH of 5.0 to 5.5) and pink flowers from alkaline soil pH (6.0 to 6.5). Aluminum sulfate can be added to acidify the soil, and lime to produce a more alkaline soil.

Hydrangea serrata

Commonly known as mountain hydrangea

A hardy species of Asian mountain origin, growing in the
forest understory. Cold hardy from zones 5 to 8, prefers shadier locations – at least a half-day of shade; prone to leaf spotting in high sun locations.

  • Hybridizes well with h.macrophylla; often utilized in newer rebloomers
  • Growth Pattern: Upright bush of rounded habit, 2 to 6 ft. height & width
  • Mostly delicate lace cap flowers with only a few mophead choices; lace caps feature a set of smaller inner fertile blooms and larger colorful outer petals
  • Blooms early in summer on old wood (buds form in the fall) with slightly subdued bloom color range – whites, pale greens, pinks, blues and some reds depending on soil pH and cultivar
Lace hydrangea
Oakleaf hydrangea

Hydrangea quercifolia

Commonly known as oakleaf hydrangea

Oakleaf hydrangea’s year-long parade starts in spring when dark green leaves unfurl. Depending on the variety, the oak-like leaves can grow up to 12 inches wide. Flower buds form long, cone-shaped clusters that crown summer landscapes with color. The elegant clusters combine large, showy florets with small, budlike flowers.

Unlike mophead hydrangeas, soil pH doesn’t affect the color of oakleaf blooms.

Hydrangea paniculata

Originated in the Asian mountains in high elevations

Very cold hardy from zones 3 to 8 and prefers full sun; the most drought tolerant of the species.

  • Growth Pattern: typically strong growers, 5 to 10 ft. plus height & width in bush form; great specimen plants as standards (tree form)
  • Very long-lived; some plants are 100 years old
  • Flowers on new wood (buds form in the spring)
  • Bloom color unaffected by soil pH

Panicle blooms feature clusters of flowers on a branch and typically open white with maturing shades of lime green to pink to mauve, flowering
from mid-summer to mid-fall.

Bobo hydrangea

Sponsored by Cape Cod 5

Cape Cod 5