How to Plant, Grow and Care for ‘Bobo’ Hydrangea

Thinking of growing Bobo Hydrangea in your garden this season, but aren't sure where to start? This sun-friendly hydrangea variety can grow in many different areas of your garden. In this article, gardening expert and hydrangea enthusiast Jill Drago takes you through all you need to know about Bobo Hydrangeas, including their maintenance and care.

Written by Jill Drago Last updated: October 3, 2023 | 8 min read

Bobo hydrangea growing in the garden with large blooming white flowers and green foliage.

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If you have ever grown panicle hydrangeas you know how beautiful they can be, and how easy they are to grow! These sun-loving shrubs produce large football-shaped flowers that typically will bloom white and take on a shade of pink or red as the season progresses.

‘Bobo’ is a wonderful variety of panicle hydrangea that has all of the species’ best qualities. Large flowers, strong upright stems, and lush growth are all key components of this sweet variety.

If you have been seeking a panicle hydrangea that is a bit smaller than the larger varieties, ‘Bobo’ is a great choice for you. Let’s learn a little bit more about this variety and how you can fit it into your garden.

‘Bobo’ Hydrangea Overview

Close-up of a blooming Bobo hydrangea in the garden. The plant has large pyramidal panicles of many small white sterile and fertile flowers with a pinkish tint at the edges. — Hydrangea ‘Bobo’ is a dwarf cultivar of panicle hydrangea that grows well in full sun.

	common name ‘Bobo’ Hydrangea
	botanical name Hydrangea paniculata ‘Bobo’
	genus Hydrangea
	plant type Deciduous Shrub
	bloom colors Pink, White
	sun requirements Partial Sun to Full Sun
	water needs Moderate
	height 36 inches
	spacing 36-48 inches
	hardiness zones 3-8
	soil needs Loamy, Well Drained
	where to plant Low-Growing, Containers

The ‘Bobo’ hydrangea is a member of the panicle hydrangea group. Hydrangeas in this group love the sun! They also bloom on new wood, making pruning a breeze.

This is a dwarf hydrangea variety that reaches 3 feet in height and about 4 feet wide. You may notice that this shrub grows a bit slower than other varieties, but it will still reach its full size in 2 or 3 years.

When the flowers bloom a crisp white on this hydrangea when fully mature. As they fade and the season goes on, they will turn to a pretty shade of pink. These flowers will cover your hydrangea from the top of the plant all of the way to the ground.

‘Bobo’ is exceptionally tolerant of both the cold and the heat and grows best in zones 3-8. This variety is a great choice for seaside communities, as they are known to be more salt tolerant compared to other species. If you live in warmer climates, ‘Bobo’ would benefit from a bit more shade.

‘Bobo’ Hydrangea Advantages

Close-up of a shrub with white flowers in a sunny garden. erect strong stems hold large pyramidal panicles of beautiful delicate white flowers. The leaves are dark green, oval. — This variety grows incredibly well in containers.

‘Bobo’ hydrangeas are a wonderful selection for the sunnier areas of your gardens. If you’ve planted hydrangeas in the past only to have them destroyed by the summer sun, this variety is exactly what you need.

As with the rest of the panicle species, ‘Bobo’ offers gardeners without shady spaces a great opportunity to grow and enjoy the beauty of hydrangeas. This variety is both cold and heat tolerant. It grows happily in zones 3-8.

There are many uses for ‘Bobo’ hydrangeas due to their size. They can easily be added to containers, perennial gardens, or used as a short border. It also blooms later in the season, so if you are looking for some flowers that will carry into the beginning of fall, this variety is one of your best options.

Propagation

Propagating hydrangeas is an effortless task once you have the basics down. Unfortunately, when it comes to propagating ‘bobo’, this is a no-no. ‘Bobo’ is a trademarked variety of panicle hydrangea.

Any propagation at home is an infringement on intellectual rights. With ‘Bobo’ it is best to purchase more plants at the store and save your propagating for other hydrangeas.

How to Plant

Top view, close-up of planting a bush of hydrangea paniculata "Bobo" in the garden. Female hands in white and yellow gloves are planting a young hydrangea bush in a dug hole in the ground. The bush has long erect stems covered with oval, bright green leaves with finely serrated edges. Next to the hydrangea there is an empty plastic flower pot and a garden shovel. — Make sure the Bobo hydrangea planting site receives at least 6 hours of sun.

If you have any experience planting hydrangeas, planting ‘Bobo’ is no different. Site selection will be the most important part of this process for you. You will be looking for an area that gets 6 hours or more of sunlight a day that also has well-draining soil.

For best results with this variety, ensure that your plant will have enough room to grow to its full size is key. This will limit pruning and allow the root systems plenty of room to grow.

Once you have the right spot in mind you will simply begin by digging a hole twice the size of the root ball. When you are satisfied with the positioning of your plant, backfill the hole with your garden soil. Water them deeply.

Keep your eye on your hydrangea, make sure that the leaves are not browning or dropping, and water as needed. The best time to plant ‘Bobo’ hydrangea is in the spring or the fall.

How to Grow

If you are planning on planting ‘Bobo’ hydrangeas in your garden you will be pleasantly surprised with how easy they are to grow! Let’s dig into the details a bit more.

Sunlight Requirements

Close-up of a flowering Hydrangea paniculata 'Bobo' in full sun. Large panicle with many small fertile and sterile pale greenish 4 petal flowers. — Hydrangea ‘Bobo’ requires full or partial sun to thrive.

‘Bobo’ grows best in partial sun to full sun. You will find that this variety of panicle hydrangea thrives when it gets 6 hours of sun per day.

The only sunlight condition you want to avoid with any panicle hydrangea is deep shade. This will cause the flowers to weigh down weakened branches. You may also notice fewer and smaller flowers on your ‘Bobo’ if it is grown in the shade.

If you don’t have enough sunny room in your garden beds, try planting ‘Bobo’ in a container that is positioned in full sun.

Water Requirements

Close-up of blooming Paniculata Hydrangea 'Bobo' against a blurred garden background. The plant has a large white pyramidal panicle, consisting of small sterile and fertile flowers. Panicle covered with drops of water. — This variety needs about one inch of water per week.

Panicles are not much different than their shade-loving relatives when it comes to water needs. Make sure ‘Bobo’ is getting about one inch of water per week. Depending on how sunny your garden is, you may need to offer your plants a bit more water.

Using a soaker hose or drip irrigation is always a really great way to make sure your they are getting enough water directly where they need it. Watch for downturned and droopy leaves, this is a sure sign that ‘Bobo’ could use more water.

A great way to retain water in your gardens is by mulching. Mulch keeps weeds out of your garden and helps slow evaporation from the soil, keeping the water near the roots.

Soil Requirements

Close-up of a young Panicle hydrangea seedling in a black plastic flower pot next to a dug planting hole. A large garden shovel is stuck into the soil. The soil is loose and dark brown. The hydrangea bush has dark green, oval leaves and slightly pinkish stems. — This shrub prefers well-drained, moist soil.

‘Bobo’ hydrangeas are at their best when they are growing in well-draining soil that can remain moist, but not too wet. They do not like to have “wet feet”.

Too much water around the root system can lead to root rot as well as other fungal diseases that could negatively affect the health of your shrub.

Climate and Temperature

Flowers in inflorescences of dwarf hydrangea of the Bobo variety. The flowers are small, snow-white, with a slight shade of pale green, have 4 rounded petals. — Hydrangea ‘Bobo’ grows well in zones 3-8 and can withstand even the toughest of winters.

The ‘Bobo’ hydrangea is hardy in zones 3-8. These lovely shrubs are a bit more cold-hardy than some other panicles yet are still just as tolerant of the heat. ‘This variety also has the ability to withstand even the toughest of winters.

If you are growing ‘Bobo’ in the warmer hardiness zones, such as zone 8, you will want to plant it somewhere that it gets some shade in the afternoon. While this variety can take full sun, it doesn’t do quite as well when the heat picks up in the afternoons.

Fertilizer

Close-up of woman's hands touching flowering branches of a paniculata hydrangea, in a sunny garden. The gardener is dressed in a white T-shirt, brown apron and has a gold watch on her wrist. Hydrangea has tall stems with large pyramidal panicles, consisting of many small fertile and sterile flowers of pale green turning into pink. The leaves are large, ovate, green. — Use compost to add nutrients to the soil.

‘Bobo’ does not need too much when it comes to fertilizer. A spring fertilizer application will get your panicle hydrangeas off to a great start for the growing season.

Fertilizing too frequently or too late in the season can cause your hydrangeas to push too much growth, eventually weakening the stems, and causing them to droop under the weight of the football-shaped blossoms.

Composting your garden beds is a great, foolproof way to add nutrition to the soil of your gardens. If you are unsure how fertile your soil is, I would recommend a soil test. These tests will tell you exactly what your soil is lacking. You may not need to fertilize at all!

Maintenance

‘Bobo’ hydrangeas are relatively maintenance-free! Watering, and weeding around your shrubs are all they require from you. Checking for insects and signs of disease on a regular basis is a good idea. This will allow you to treat these issues promptly and before they get too out of hand.

Pruning

‘Bobo’ hydrangeas bloom on new wood each season. This allows pruning to be done in the fall or in the springtime before any new growth appears. Whenever you decide to prune, all you need to do is cut the branches within a few inches of the ground.

You may opt to leave a few of the full-sized branches in place. These branches can act as support for new growth. You may also opt not to prune at all. This is totally fine as well and will not affect the blooms or new growth of ‘Bobo’.

Pests

Green Rose Chafer on White Hydrangea. Large panicle of hydrangeas of small fertile and sterile white flowers. The beetle is large, iridescent emerald green in color with a V-shape on the back, where the elytra converge. — To get rid of pests, spray the hydrangea with water from a hose or use a bottle of insecticidal soap.

If you have concerns about garden pests taking over your hydrangea, you do not need to be worried about this variety. That is not to say that ‘Bobo’ is “resistant” to insects, instead, it may encounter typical garden pests just like any other plant in your yard.

You may find insects such as beetles, aphids, or mites living on your hydrangeas. These insects are not picky about their hosts and can be controlled pretty easily.

It is not typically advised to spray your hydrangea down with water; however, this can help to remove mites and aphids from the surface of your plants. If this doesn’t do the trick, head to your garden center and pick up a bottle of insecticidal soap or other control that your garden center may recommend.

For the beetles, you can walk around with a bucket of soapy water and knock the beetles into the bucket. If you know that you have a grub issue in your lawn, be sure to treat your lawn to avoid any grub damage to your hydrangea’s roots and to help control the beetle population in your yard.

Diseases

Close-up of hydrangea branches infected with the fungus powdery mildew. The leaves are ovate, bright green, covered with a white-gray powdery coating and brown-purple spots. — Hydrangeas can be susceptible to fungal diseases such as powdery mildew or leaf spot.

For the most part, hydrangeas are tough plants that do not struggle with many diseases. However, they have been known to struggle with fungal diseases from time to time.

Prevention of fungal diseases is pretty simple. It starts with spacing your ‘Bobo’ hydrangeas out with the appropriate spacing. This is about 4-6 feet apart. The airflow between the plants will help reduce any extra moisture that could help fungal spores spread.

Cleaning up dropped leaves and other plant material is another great way to keep your plants healthy. Fungal spores will live on these plant tissues and will spread easily if they are hit with raindrops or irrigation water.

If you have noticed that your ‘Bobo’ hydrangea is struggling with powdery mildew or another fungal disease such as leaf spot the first thing you should do is remove any infected leaves. If this doesn’t do the trick, or if you are still concerned about the overall health of your shrub, head on over to your local garden center and pick up a copper fungicide.

Be sure to apply these fungicides at the rate that is on the product label. This will keep you, your hydrangea, and the environment safe.

Plant Uses

Close-up of a blooming 'Bobo' hydrangea bush in a sunny perennial garden. The bush is lush, has profusely flowering pyramidal panicles of small white-pink flowers. — ‘Bobo’ grows well in containers and as a border in your garden.

Since ‘Bobo’ is a dwarf variety of panicle hydrangea, it is a bit more versatile than its larger counterparts. Maxing out at 3 feet in height, ‘Bobo’ is an excellent option for your containers!

But the options don’t stop there. Add ‘Bobo’ into your perennial gardens where you are looking for the outrageous blooms of hydrangea, but just don’t have the space for a 6-8 foot tall variety.

Try adding ‘Bobo’ to your garden borders. The creamy flowers will complement other plants like a dream, and the dense growth habit of this shrub will offer some privacy or hide something you don’t want to see. Such as an air conditioner or other utility feature of your home.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are a couple of reasons that your ‘Bobo’ hydrangea isn’t blooming. The first is the plant’s location. Panicles, including ‘Bobo’, thrive in full sun.

If there are not any flowers, or the flowers are much smaller than you expected, you should take a look at how much sunlight your plant is getting. You may need to transplant ‘Bobo’, or you may be able to prune some branches of larger plants out of the way, so the shrub gets more sunlight.

The second reason your shrub might not be blooming may be related to your fertilizer. In order for flowering plants to bloom they need phosphorus.

If you have been giving your shrubs too much basic fertilizer, or if there is runoff from your lawn fertilizer you may want to add some bonemeal or a fertilizer that is specifically for blooming plants.

Absolutely! Most hydrangeas will grow beautifully for you in a container. The dwarf nature of ‘Bobo’ makes it a more versatile option for containers. You will not need to have a giant container for this variety to grow happily. It also allows for more room to plant some trailing or flowering annuals which will really bump up the beauty of your container garden.

If you have planted ‘Bobo’ in the right spot in your garden you should not expect any flopping under the heavy weight of the flowers. This variety has been hybridized to have very strong stems that grow upright. The perfect combination for these football-shaped flowers.

However, If your ‘Bobo’ hydrangea is not getting enough sun you may experience flopping of the branches. When panicles do not get enough sun their stems and branches become weakened. This weakness is what leads to flopping.

‘Bobo’ has shown signs of being salt tolerant, and would be a great selection for a seaside garden.

Salt has a way of dehydrating your plant. If the water your plant is drinking is too salty, the plant’s roots will not be able to absorb enough water. Salt that lands on the surface can also pull water from the plant tissues. Both of these will cause your shrub to show signs of dehydration.

If you are unsure if your seaside location is suitable for a ‘Bobo’ hydrangea’ try planting it in a container. This will allow you to move the container if needed, and also control the water that makes its way into the soil.

Another option is to plant ‘Bobo’ in a more protected area. If salt spray could be an issue, I would suggest planting in an area where it will not be misted with salt water on a regular basis.

Final Thoughts

‘Bobo’ hydrangeas are a really nice addition to any garden. These shrubs may be small, but they are not lacking anything. They are more compact, making them a great addition to containers, or other areas of your garden where you need low-growing shrubs.

The flowers are huge and there are plenty of them to go around, leaving plenty for you to snip off any enjoy in bouquets indoors as well.

How to Plant, Grow and Care for ‘Bobo’ Hydrangea

‘Bobo’ Hydrangea Overview

‘Bobo’ Hydrangea Advantages

Propagation

How to Plant