Is anyone else frustrated with Bobo hydrangea?

last year

Here in Edmonton (Zone 4a), Alberta, my Quick Fire and Little Lime have already leafed out beautifully, but those Bobo's are just barely leafing out!!! I am just getting a bit frustrated with these guys.... does anyone else feel the same way about them in the colder areas?

If I were to replace them with other smaller (less than 4' x 4' mature size) paniculatas that leaf out earlier than Bobo in zone 4a, what would you recommend (other than QF and Little Lime) please?

Thanks in advance!

Featured Answer

chrysalids

last year

My Bobos are looking stunning this year. I attached a pic of one (it is three years old) as inspiration. :) I have never done this before so hopefully it works.

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Comments (36)

luis_pr
last year
last modified: last year
check out Early Evolution, Dharuma and an upcoming 2023 new one, Tiny Quick Fire. There is also a larger version Bobo coming out but it probably has the same slow start as regular Bobo.
ostrich thanked luis_pr
ostrich
Original Author
last year
Thanks, luis!

I just Google'd Early Evolution - interestingly, some website said that it's zone 3, some said it's zone 5.... I wonder what is correct please?

I am staying away from Bobo, whether it's large, small, medium etc.... it just wakes up way too late here! LOL!

Quick Fire is my absolute favouriate of all paniculatas. Since I have 3 already, I am hoping to get something different there....

Thanks again!
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Another option would be to encircle the plant stems with a short green wire fence early enough that the leaves haven’t yet unfolded. Alternatively, put the fencing horizontally and fastened to legs of rebar or stakes. The fence gets covered by the leaves, becoming largely invisible, and provides some extra support to the stems. IME, pruning can help the lower stems be stiffer, but then you have the floppy new growth above the pruned stems, so I prefer to not do much pruning on cultivars of arborescens. Not everyone else has had the same experience.
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FrozeBudd_z3/4
last year
Ostrich, I gave up on 'Bobo' about three years on with them, had several and they just weren't vigorous and even after one of the better winters, they just kept pining away, out they went, I think they're much better suited to zone 5 instead! Our climate has been soooo erratic all over the place, seemingly more than ever! When I acquired 'QF' and 'LQF' upon their introduction, both had done fantastic for several years with very little dieback, though have suffered more severely of late.

I was eyeing 'Quick Fire Fab', had seen at Super Store, though specimens were not in the best of condition to warrant purchase.
ostrich thanked FrozeBudd_z3/4
NWalton (Zone 6a)
last year
Bobo is very frustrating. Five year bush and still looks semi sickly. if youdont want Little Lime, what about Little Lime Punch? I have been trying to get it local here but near impossible atm. Otherwise I would go with Quick Fire.
ostrich thanked NWalton (Zone 6a)
ostrich
Original Author
last year
Thanks, Frozebudd and NWalton! I have 5 Bobos planted so if I change them all, it will be a bit costly.... I think that I will give them one more year to see how they work out and if they remain to be pathetic, then they will be replaced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NWalton, I have several QF already and I love them! They are my favourite paniculata and I wonder how Little Quick Fire and Quick Fire Fab would work out in our cold climate up north!

Little Lime Punch is intriguing too. I am curious also about these other ones that I see in the stores now, like Little Hottie and especially Flare Hydrangea - that one seems very interesting. I wonder if anyone knows much about Flare at all?
Joe Williams
last year
I tried 3 Bobos a few years back. i gave them 3 years to get their act together before i finally pitched them. I’m even in zone 6, yet every year it took so long for them to leaf out. When they did, the leaves stayed small and pale all season. The stems were so slow to thicken, the blooms flopped over yearly. I was not impressed with the cultivar.
ostrich thanked Joe Williams
ostrich
Original Author
last year
Joe, thank you! I cannot believe that Bobo did not even do well for you in zone 6!!! Yikes....
lovemycorgi z5b SE michigan
last year
I only tried Bobo once and shovel-pruned it after four years or so, it just never looked good for me, it was always scraggly and sickly looking. To be fair, though, I had it near a sprinkler head, so it was perhaps over-watered; it was in full sun. There have been some fantastic photos of Bobo on this forum, however, so I might try again.
ostrich thanked lovemycorgi z5b SE michigan
chrysalids
last year
last modified: last year
I am in zone 6. I have five Bobos and they bloom like crazy for me. I love them. Do you use Hollytone to fertilize them in early spring? This is my first year to see how Little Lime Punch does. I also have Firelight Tidbit which I also love.
ostrich thanked chrysalids
pennlake
last year
last modified: last year
Bobo does fine here in MN, just not my favorite Too soon on a lot those new ones to know long term performance in various climates
ostrich thanked pennlake
ostrich
Original Author
last year
Thank you - it is great to see that some people have had success with Bobo! I think that it likely is a bit fussy, so that if it is in the right location and climate, it will do well. Am I right with this theory?

Yes, chrysalids, I should try to fertilize them and see if that helps! pennlake, do your Bobo's bloom very well in MN? When you say it's not your favourite, why is that please?

This evening, I could not believe that I saw that Canadian Tire near me had its entire stock of outdoor plants at 50% off!!! I could not resist the temptation and bought 5 Little Quick Fire to replace these Bobo's! OK, I am not throwing them away, but I will relocate these Bobo's to a less conspicuous location - where they are now require something that will be more vigorous and reliable as it's a very visible spot. So LQF should do well there! Then I will move these Bobo's to somewhere that I can baby them for a couiple more years to see what happens to them there, without being too visible in the backyard. Wish me luck!
pennlake
last year
Blooms great in MN. Just something about the flowers I don't like and it's tendency to brown out here if late summer it too hot and dry. Nice compact mounded habit.
ostrich thanked pennlake
lovemycorgi z5b SE michigan
last year
Check out these beautiful Bobos!!!

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/6153326/my-annual-bobo-report#n=14
ostrich thanked lovemycorgi z5b SE michigan
ostrich
Original Author
last year
I am so envious of Rouge's Bobo's! How do they get to be so big and beautiful? I bet you it really needs just the right climate for it, and we do not have it in Alberta... sigh!

I was just about to replace the 5 Bobo's that I have with these Little Quick Fire's which I bought at a huge sale yesterday - so beautifiul and yet the price was amazing! Anyway, just as I was doing it, I noted that some of the Bobo's are now forming buds.... but as you see, it is just not vigorous in my yard, even after 2 years in the ground:

They are barely over one foot tall. Really, I am kind of tempted to give them some fertilizers and see what happens, or should I just replace them with the LQF now? Life is too short to just wait and wait, just to hope that they will do well, right????

Decisions, decisions.... what would you do?
FrozeBudd_z3/4
last year
Honestly, I'd replace them with LQF, it's a beauty, very hardy and EARLY flowering and just the right size of plant that seldom requires much pruning, and NO it does not sulk like 'Bobo' does!

I like what you're doing there with those sharp clean lines!! :)
ostrich thanked FrozeBudd_z3/4
ostrich
Original Author
last year
FrozeBudd, thank you! You will be so proud of me as I dug up all 5 Bobo's today and replaced them with LQF!!! What an instant upgrade:

The whole bed is looking so much better already! THANK YOU! Now I should find some other space for the Bobo's....:-)
Marcia Pilipishen
last year
I've never planted Bobo, for the simple reason that i don't like the name! Does that make sense? LOL I have Little Quickfire but it hasn't done that well. Mother Nature has been completely off her meds the past couple of years and we've had awful springs, and LQF has suffered. So has Lava Rose. Fire and Ice, on the other hand (the one i've had the longest) is doing okay. Its buds froze last spring but it did come back and produce a few flowers.
luis_pr
last year
last modified: last year
Hydrangea paniculata Fire And Ice had flower buds in spring that froze??? Gosh, I did not think it was such a very early producer of flower buds.
FrozeBudd_z3/4
last year
last modified: last year
Those are really nice LQF specimens that likely are to give you some blooms already this summer, I hope we enjoy some heat before too long here to really kick things into gear!

Marcia, you're not alone, I don't care for the 'Bobo' name and neither does it have what it takes to thrive in my northern climate. Another that has under performed is 'Fire Light', it has taken some good years to bulk up and finally when it has, this year several of the larger branches have died. I've read glorious reviews from folks in milder climates, but I found the blooms tend to get all splotted up and brown out more readily than others, apparently again doing much better for others.

Ostrich, in another thread you had enquired about 'Flare', I haven't grown that one, though I do have 'Moonrock', the attractive blooms have petals of great substance and plants are hardier and earlier flowering than 'Limelight'. While at Spruce Grove Home Depot, I chatted with an elderly lady with a large specimen 'Moonrock' in her hand, I said to her "That's a good variety!!", she enthusiastically replied "Oh, I know, I have an entire hedge of them and people are always asking me what they are!!"
ostrich thanked FrozeBudd_z3/4
Marcia Pilipishen
last year
Luis, we had a very warm March and April so everything came up early, but then very late heavy frosts. Most of the lilac buds froze too, and many of the lilies did as well. There were frosts in May here this year, but there was still a couple of feet of snow on the ground at the beginning of May so nothing came up early!
ostrich
Original Author
last year
Oh! FrozeBudd, tell me more about MoonRock please!!! Is it as early flowering as QF? How big does it get and does it turn pink in the end?

I gather that Flare is like a smaller version of Moonrock, as they are all in the Lavalamp series of hydrangeas by Bloomin' Easy. I really am curious how they do in our crazy northern weather??? So please tell me more about your Moonrock! Thanks.
FrozeBudd_z3/4
last year
"Moonrock' is not of extra early flowering as is 'QF', though weeks ahead of 'Limelight' and hardier as well. As I previously mentioned, it has quite the amazing thick petal substance and a nice refreshing limey and white color that in warmer drier conditions later gives away to really nice warm rosy antique shades. Mine is yet just over 3 ft tall, though I guess will come to grow 4 to 6 ft.
ostrich thanked FrozeBudd_z3/4
FrozeBudd_z3/4
last year
Ostrich, here's a comparison of bloom development on some of my paniculatas, we certainly have had a cool and soggy growing season thus far! ...

'Little Lamb' is gearing up, always very reliable, I guess no longer much circulating in the nursery trade though.

'Moonrock', just a tad earlier, receives additional heat being along the south veranda, though is shaded for several hours during the afternoon, it has especially very good foliage!

'Fire Light', has been with me now a good five years, it's a bit of a slowpoke bloom and plants have always looked somewhat pale even with being fertilized, this one is situated in the most prime of locations with excellent soil and drainage, I'm eyeing it for possible replacement with Sambucus 'Sunrise Surprise'.
ostrich thanked FrozeBudd_z3/4
ostrich
Original Author
last year
Thanks, FrozeBudd! This is such useful information that we don't get elsewhere, for those of use who live way up north and in such extreme climate!!! I am now having second thoughts about getting Firelight for my future flower bed... :-)

BTW, my Sambucus "Sunrise Surprise" continues to surprise me as it is growing so vigorously and so beautifully that it has to be my absolute new favourite plant now!!! :-) I wonder who else carries it in the Edmonton area? I saw several earlier in the season at Lowe's but now they are gone. I don't see them elsewhere though? Have you seen them anywhere around here at all?
ostrich
Original Author
last year
Just a quick update for everyone - the Bobo hydrangeas that I relocated to a less conspicuous spot are actually doing quite well there! They are now full of buds and are looking good. I am curious as to how they will do long term there but I was impressed that I could move them so easily. Let's see how they turn out in the end! Thanks everyone!
ostrich
Original Author
last year
Very pretty, chrysalids! Thanks!!! What zone are you in please?
chrysalids
last year
ostrich, I am in zone 6a. Here is a photo of two more Bobos looking gorgeous.
ostrich thanked chrysalids
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
last year
last modified: last year
I say not enough love for BOBOs!

Our very established BOBOs are doing well but not as floriferous as I have seen in previous years and not nearly as 'blossomy' as I see with @chrysalids...well done. (I am attributing the less flowers to this much drier summer).

Here are ours today:
ostrich thanked rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
chrysalids
last year
last modified: last year
@rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a), Bobos are fantastic! Your garden is beautiful. I love all the different colors.
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
last year
A Bobo today:
gawdinfever Z6
last year
@rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a): You're Bobo's are magazine worthy! You were the reason I bought this plant and now I'm working on getting more!
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
9 months ago
Annual UPDATE: July 28/23: (2 of our 4 remaining Bobos).
lovemycorgi z5b SE michigan
9 months ago
Gorgeous, @rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)!!!

But what do you mean, ”4 remaining Bobos”? Did you lose some?
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
9 months ago
2 very established Bobos died over this past winter. They were part of the border having the two you see above. I replaced them this past May with Little Hotties that have grown quiet well so far.
luis_pr
9 months ago
Any clues why the Bobos died? Quite rare but not impossible I guess.