With a variety of hydrangea species, you not only create a more beautiful and diverse garden, but also lend a helping hand to nature. Hydrangeas provide food, shelter, and nesting spots for insects, birds, and even hedgehogs – all year round. It’s an easy and beautiful way to support biodiversity in your garden or green space.

A magnet for insects
When people think of hydrangeas, they often picture the classic Hydrangea macrophylla, with its large flower heads in blue, pink, or white. But there’s so much more to discover! Flat-flowered varieties – like lacecap hydrangeas (also known as Teller types) – are favourites among pollinators. The outer ring of sterile flowers draws in bees, bumblebees, and butterflies, guiding them to the fertile flowers in the centre. In return, the insects help the plant with pollination. The Hydrangea paniculata (panicle hydrangea) takes it even further: its light, fruity scent attracts butterflies, and its abundant blooms are rich in nectar and pollen for honeybees. Even more fascinating: some insects drink tiny water droplets from the hydrangea’s leaves to absorb extra minerals and salts – a behaviour known as puddling. And outside the blooming season, the plant remains valuable: in winter, insects take shelter in its hollow stems. In the Netherlands alone, over 60 species of bees, including leafcutter bees, mason bees, and masked bees – use the hollows in hydrangeas and their woody stems to build their nests.

A haven for birds and hedgehogs
It’s not just insects that benefit from hydrangeas. Birds and hedgehogs also find shelter and food among the plants, especially in summer. The climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris) is even considered one of the most biodiversity-friendly climbers. Birds use it for nesting and hiding, while bees, beetles, hoverflies, and bugs all thrive on this plant.

Year-round colour and life
By combining different hydrangea varieties, you can extend the flowering season from May to December. This means more food and shelter for wildlife throughout the year – and a garden full of colour, fragrance, and life for you to enjoy.

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