Hydrangea paniculata 'DVP Pinky' PINKY WINKY® peegee hydrangea, panicle hydrangea

This attractive hydrangea comes from Belgium and was bred by Johan van Huylenbroeck. It was patented only in 2004 and got a peculiar name: Pinky Winky. Allegedly, the breeder was inspired by the children’s programme Teletubbies.

Pinky Winky® is a panicle type hydrangea, not a mop-head one with big leaves and large flowers heads. It has upto 40 cm long panicles, growing strictly upright on sturdy stems so the flowers never bend under heavy rainfall. They come out in mid-summer and continue blooming until the first frosts. The individual flowers appear cream white and keep coming up on a panicle from the bottom upwards. So before the upper flowers appear the bottom ones turn pink already. By end summer the whole panicle is overall light and deep pink.

These features differ this hydrangea from the older varieties whose stems are weak and flowers turn lovely shades late in autumn. Pinky Winky gets deep purple pink in the autumn. The stems are burgundy-brown. The leaves are ovate, pointed, fresh green.

It will grow in almost any soil type, preferably humus-rich, moist soil that will not be too heavy or shallow. You can plant it almost anywhere as it takes sun or shade. Our plant is in quite wet soil and gets plenty of direct sun in the morning and no sun in the afternoon, and is beautiful. Hardy to min. -37°C (USDA zone 3).

Last update 11-12-2008