Nine pink hydrangeas to grow

Browse our selection of pink-flowered hydrangeas for alkaline soil, below.

Hydrangea aspera 'Hot Chocolate' is a lacecap hydrangea with showy pink and blue blooms, comprising violet flowers and pink bracts. These contrast beautifully with chocolate coloured stems and rich, brown-green leaves, which mature to bright green before developing yellow and amber hues in autumn.

Height x spread: 3m x 3m

If grown on neutral to acid soil, Hydrangea 'Preziosa' bears masses pink mophead flowers, which mature to dramatic shades of red and burgundy (although they're blue or purple on more acidic soils). Its bronze leaves darken to deep red in autumn, making for a fantastic end-of-year display.

H x S: 1.5m x 1.5m

Hydrangea paniculata 'Kolmavesu' is a compact, upright hydrangea, with pointed green leaves and compact, plumes of white flowers, which gradually mature to pink and red over summer.

H x S: 1.5m x 1.5m

Flowering from early summer to autumn, 'Red Bull' has dark green leaves and contrasting flowers with pink-white florets and wonderful dark pink to red bracts. It's perfect for growing in a mixed ornamental border with other hydrangeas, and is also suitable for growing in pots.

H x S: 1.5m x 1.5m

‘Miss Saori’ has incredible bicoloured flowers in pink-white with a darker pink margin. These contrast beautifully with fresh green foliage, which develops purple tones in spring and autumn. Flowering on both new and old wood, it puts on a dramatic, long-lasting show.

H x S: 1m x 1m

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Zorro’ is a particularly lovely lacecap hydrangea, bearing pretty star-shaped, pink or blue flowers on dark stems. Like most hydrangeas, plants grown in alkaline soils produce pink flowers, while those grown in acid soils bear blue flowers.

H x S: 1.5m x 1.5m

Hydrangea serrata 'Intermedia' is a compact hydrangea, perfect for all sizes of garden as well as growing in containers. It has dark green leaves, which turn gorgeous shades of red and purple in autumn. These provide the perfect backdrop for its lacy purple-pink flowers.

H x S: 1m x 1m

'Beni-gaku' is a compact hydrangea with dark green leaves that turn red and bronze in autumn. Its lilac florets are bordered by surrounded by white bracts, which mature to pretty shades of pink and red.

H x S: 1m x 1m

Hydrangea 'Limelight'

Although flowers of limelight hydrangea are white throughout summer, they turn pink in autumn. This upright shrub also has pinkish grey-green stems.

H x S: 2.5m x 2.5m

• Buy limelight hydrangea from Thompson & Morgan