Hydrangea Macrophylla Sibilla

Hydrangea Macrophylla Sibilla is a mid-sized deciduous hydrangea with large striking red flowers in the summer. It enjoys part shade and looks good in a cottage-garden style flower border. It’s also known as Hydrangea Masja Sibilla or simply Hydrangea Masja. 

Hydrangea Macrophylla is native to Japan and cultivated into two types of flowers which are the mophead hydrangea with large rounded flowerheads, and lacecaps with more delicate, flatter flowers and small centre petals. Hydrangea Macrophylla Sibilla is a mophead with mid-green foliage that has a red autumnal tint. This is a beautiful hydrangea and one of the reddest you can buy with deep pink-red profuse flowers that bloom throughout the summer. It’s very popular and easy to care for. You may find the flowers are dark pink in acidic soil but paler in alkaline ground - either way the flowers don’t turn white or blue.

Height And Spread of Hydrangea Macrophylla Sibilla
This is a bushy, mid-sized shrub with a maximum height and spread of 1 metre.

How Hardy is Hydrangea Macrophylla Sibilla
Hydrangea Masja is frost tolerant and hardy through UK winters if its roots are well-drained, but it should be grown in a partially shady, sheltered spot. 

How To Use Hydrangea Macrophylla Sibilla
This is a compact hydrangea with huge colour impact. It suits cottage-style garden borders, city gardens, and will grow in containers on a balcony, patio or deck if it’s well-watered and fed.
Flower arrangers love its large vivid flower heads in summer and its skeletal papery winter structure that lasts for months in cut flower arrangements.

How To Care For Hydrangea Macrophylla Sibilla
Hydrangea Masja will grow in the majority of soils but it needs a partially shady spot. Full sun will burn its foliage and damage the plant, so a sheltered north, west or east-facing spot is best.
There is no need to prune it, but established plants benefit if you remove a few of the older stems in late winter to encourage fresh new growth. Hydrangea Masja flowers on last year’s stems so removing too many will result in fewer flowers for the coming months.
Water it well until established and provide water during dry spells to keep it flowering through the summer. A thick layer of organic mulch in early spring will provide flower boosting nutrients for the growing season.