Bigleaf hydrangea or Panicle hydrangea: how to tell them apart?
Bigleaf hydrangea and Panicle hydrangea look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Bigleaf hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla
Panicle hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata
The bigleaf hydrangea has flowers gathered in round heads whose colour depends on soil pH; the panicled hydrangea has flowers in large conical panicles, always white then turning pinkish.
🍃 Leaves
Broad, oval, toothed, glossy green, opposite
Opposite, ovate, toothed, deciduous
🌸 Flowers
Large rounded flower heads, white, pink, blue or mauve depending on soil pH
White turning pink with time, held in large upright conical panicles
🍎 Fruits
Small dry capsules, barely visible, hidden under the dried flowers
Small dry capsule
🪵 Bark
Woody grey-brown stems, rather brittle
Brown twigs, bark peeling slightly with age
📏 Size
1 to 2 m tall
2 to 4 m tall
🗺️ Habitat
Gardens, beds, containers, moist, free-draining soils
Planted in garden borders and hedges, moist soils
⚠️ Toxicity
All parts mildly toxic if eaten (cyanogenic compounds), causing digestive upset.
All parts slightly toxic if ingested (cyanogenic compounds), as in other hydrangeas, causing digestive upset.
🔎 And from the Panicle hydrangea side
The bigleaf hydrangea has flowers grouped in round balls whose colour depends on soil pH; the panicled hydrangea has flowers in large conical panicles, always white then turning pink.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.