Dragon Baby™ Hydrangea vs Sweet Gale - TreeTime.ca

Dragon Baby™ Hydrangea vs Sweet Gale

Hydrangea paniculata HYLV17522

Myrica gale

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Dragon Baby™ Hydrangea
Sweet Gale

Dragon Baby™ Hydrangea is a dwarf panicle hydrangea with flowers that start as lime green and transition to a rich pink towards the fall. During the summer the leaves are a deep green and turn a golden yellow with a red to purple tint. Persistent blooms and fall colors add multi season interest to your landscape. The petite form is well suited for urban yards and tight spaces.

Flowers grow on new wood so pruning is best done in late winter or early spring. The Dragon Baby Hydrangea is part of the Bloomin’ Easy® collection.

Sweet Gale is a native, nitrogen-fixing shrub known for its aromatic foliage. Tiny glands on the leaves release a balmy, bay leaf-like scent with floral and citrus notes. In spring, the yellowish male catkins provide one of the earliest sources of pollen for bees and other insects. While later in the season, the female catkins produce seeds that are eaten by waterfowl. Sweet Gale is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers occur on separate plants.

Sweet Gale thrives in wet, acidic soils and is commonly found along wetlands and lakeshores. It can help stabilize shorelines, while its dense growth provides valuable cover for wildlife. It is well-suited for naturalization, wetland restoration, and erosion control projects.

Dragon Baby™ Hydrangea Quick Facts

Sweet Gale Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1b
Height: 0.8 m (2.5 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.8 m (2.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright, thicket-forming
Spreading: suckering - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: none


Foliage: dotted with yellow glands, sweet scented
Fall colour: yellow
Bark: reddish-purple, dotted with yellow glands
Flowers: starts green and transitions to pink
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: dragon baby hardy hydrangea, dragon baby panicle hydrangea
Other Names: bog myrtle, meadow-fern, sweet bayberry, sweetgale