My Hydrangea Villosa which had grown to about 9 feet in height has been severely damaged by heavy snow. The large (about 4 inches in diameter) middle trunks of the hydrangea seem to be loose at the crown and so will have to be taken out. The trunks on the outside don't seem loose but now are almost down to the ground and will break if pulled back. Can this hydrangea start again if it is cut to the ground? What would be the best approach to pruning or should I replace?
I have several Hydrangea aspera varieties and I normally do not prune as I like the more leggy look when grown in deeper shade. I have seen and heard that aspera's take pruning very well, however this is normally within the first few years of planting. If the trunks are severely loosened at the crown, then I would go ahead and trim those back. If the outer trunks are also loose and/or damaged I would trim those back as well to prevent growth on those trunks that you will probably have to take out anyway in the spring. I would wait until spring to see if there is any new growth before replacing. With a plant of that size you may see substantial grow-back from the crown in the first year. Good Luck.
I had to transplant a very large villosa a couple of years back. Almost all of the branches died and had to be cut back to the ground. It started coming back and now is doing well...it will take a few years to reach the same size it was however. It is so sad.
