Can hydrangea plants grow in snow country? ( snow usually from Oct_ April) I was given a beautiful plant for Mother's Day in a pot and I want to plant it in the yard. Or should I put it in a larger pot?

I'm in zone 5 and I grow several hydrangeas with success, but they are all varieties that bloom on new wood. Your hydrangeas is likely different. To help you identify it go to www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com. There you will find lots of info.

I live in Central NY (Syracuse area)where we have a lot of snow each year and have several Hydrangeas. We wrap them in burlap each winter, mulch and they've done really well.

Thank you both!! I feel better about trying them in the ground this winter. Wish me luck!!

In my area, the hydrangeas they sell in pots for Mother's Day are usually the Mophead hydrangeas. They do best in zones 6 and higher. Even zone 6 can be touchy for them. They bloom on old wood from the previous summer. If you get late frost, chances are it'll kill the flower buds that have formed. You'll get a shrub that will leaf out great, but few, if any flowers. You can try to protect it by wrapping burlap around it and fill it with leaves. Don't uncover it until you know you won't have any more frosts.
Good luck and I hope it comes thru for you!

Kat

Kat - when you say cover it with leaves...
do you mean after you wrap with the burlap, you throw in the leaves on top of the plant? or are you mulching the base of the plant with the leaves?
Wouldn't the leaves turn to a soggy mess in the spring????

Yes, throw the leaves in from the top. I have to say I've never done this with hydrangeas, but I've read on other forums where people have done this. The thing is, when you uncover it in Spring, you should make sure you won't be getting any more frosts. Don't use the big heavy leaves, cut up ones would be best. Straw is good too. I'm including a link from the hydrangea site mentioned above. She explains how to do this. I have 'Endless Summer' that blooms on new wood. It'll be pink or blue depending on your soil. This past winter it died back to almost the ground line, but it acutally has a few flowers on now. It's small, but we had a really bad long winter. There's also another hardy mophead, I think it's called Forever and Forever, or something like that. It's supposed to be a good one too for the northern climates.
Here's the link for protecting yours:

Winter Protection

Kat

I have a lacecap that I have to protect here in zone 7!!.... the trick is to surround the plant with a cage of chicken wire or wire fence first... or stakes if necessary..(don't want the plant to touch the wire)..... then wrap the burlap around that.... fill the cage with the mulch, leaves, straw, whatever, making sure to layer the base nice and heavy with mulch, too.... then the top can be covered over with more burlap so that water can get in, but ice and wind is kept off..... it is so important, too, to not uncover them until the last frost is history!!....I got ahead of myself one year and got caught in a freeze and lost every bud on the thing!!....

since you havent' planted yours yet, knowing that this protection can kinda be an ugly duck in the landscape all winter, that might help you decide where to put it?......

I'm a big fan of the old-fashioned hydrangeas--you know, the ones whose blossoms are green, then gradually turn white and by late summer, have that gorgeous, russet-pink tinge. Victorians loved them and they're all over my older neighborhood, doing fine. Maybe you should go with this variety. I also see lots of the blue ones and a few pinkish-red. I wish I knew the names, but it looks like the people who already answered can fill you in on those.

Also, hydrangeas are great for drying!