The votes were cast. Over half a million of them. And we have a winner! The 2022 Shrub Madness® champion is Fire Light Tidbit® panicle hydrangea!
This is a dwarf Hydrangea paniculata, so it’s hard to find a reason not to grow it. At just 2-3′ tall and wide, it will fit into almost any landscape, even patio containers. And since it’s hardy in USDA 3-8, almost everyone in North America can enjoy it.
Fire Light Tidbit® blooms on new wood; its flowers open white before transitioning to bubblegum pink and dark red later in the season. This is a later-blooming variety, so it will extend the hydrangea season and help southern gardeners have a nice color transition in fall.
The fall color show isn’t limited to just the blooms – the foliage is spectacular, too. (See center image above.) This winning shrub will grow in either full sun or part shade.
It’s Canada’s Year of the Garden!
What makes 2022 the year of the garden? The Canadian Garden Council based the celebration on the Canadian ornamental horticulture sector’s centennial, combined with the fact that nearly 83% of Canadian households tended some form of a garden in 2021. Now that’s something to celebrate!
To join the fun here in the States, we created this Top 10 Shrubs for Canada video: