Do i need to cover my hydrangea over winter?

I live in rhode island. Do i need to cover them during the winter?

Do i need to cover my hydrangea over winter?
I'm in the mid-Atlantic U.S. and I never cover mine. I don't think it would be an issue because they die back to the ground. You might mulch the ground around them before winter sets in so as to lessen the effects of the freeze/thaw cycle on the plant.
Reply:no need to cover, but check out some sites on pruning hydrangeas. They only bloom on second year growth, so you only want to remove the canes when they are brown and dry.
Reply:Have never seen them die back to ground. As they are deciduous they are designed for winter. Some pruning can be necessary removing dead,diseased wood
Reply:I would.I know my Grandmaw would put large wire around her plants.then put straw in to fill above them.The freeze would never get her plants.She lived in Louisiana and it gets cold but not freeze....
Reply:If you are within a half mile of the ocean, probably not.

I used to live in ustate New York and never covered them, but sometimes the wind would burn them badly.

Just wrap them in burlap bags. It ain't gonna hurt.