Plant hydrangea (lat. Hydrangea) belongs to the genus of flowering plants of the Hydrangeaceae family, which according to various sources includes from 30 to 80 species of shrubs, vines and small trees. In nature, hydrangea can most often be found in East and South Asia - in Japan and China. It also grows in the Far East and North America. The hydrangea flower received its name in honor of the princess of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Latin name Hydrangea was given to the plant by taxonomists for its excessive love of moisture (hydrangea is translated as “vessel of water”). The Japanese call hydrangea “ajisai,” which in Japanese means “purple sun flower.” Of the wide variety of hydrangea species, only garden hydrangea, or large-leaf hydrangea, of compact forms is grown in indoor culture; all other types and varieties of hydrangea in our latitudes are grown in gardens.
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Planting and caring for hydrangea (in brief)
- Landing: sowing seeds for seedlings in the fall, followed by planting the seedlings in open ground in early spring two years later. In the south, seedlings can be planted in the ground in the fall.
- Bloom: from early summer to late autumn.
- Lighting: partial shade in the southern area, bright sunlight in the middle zone and more northern regions.
- The soil: rich and moist, free of lime (pH 5.0).
- Watering: weekly and abundant, water consumption - from 15 to 20 liters per plant.
- Feeding: in early spring - with a urea solution, after flowering - with complex mineral fertilizer.
- Trimming: annually from 3-4 years. Paniculata and tree-like - in March-April.
- Reproduction: seeds, dividing the bush, grafting, layering and green cuttings.
- Pests: spider mites.
- Diseases: peronosporosis, chlorosis.
Read more about growing hydrangeas below.
Hydrangea flowers - description
In natural conditions, hydrangea flowers are shrubs up to 3 m tall, medium-sized trees and vines that can climb tree trunks to a height of up to 30 m. In addition, depending on the species, they can be either evergreen or deciduous plants, and in our climate flower growers prefer to grow deciduous plants. Hydrangea leaves are usually large, opposite, oval with a sharp tip, often with serrated edges and noticeable venation. Hydrangea blooms from spring to frost with large spherical inflorescences, corymbose or paniculate, consisting of two types of flowers: small fertile (fertile), usually located in the middle of the inflorescence, and large sterile (sterile), blooming at the edges. There are, however, species in which all the flowers in the inflorescence are fertile.
Most hydrangeas bloom with white flowers, but a species such as large-leaved hydrangea (or large-leaved hydrangea) blooms not only with white and cream, but also with red, blue, lilac and pink flowers, and the color directly depends on the soil pH (level pH): on neutral soil hydrangeas grow with beige and cream flowers, on alkaline soil - with lilac or pink flowers, on acidic soil - with blue ones due to the aluminum contained in the soil, which the plant can absorb. The fruit of hydrangea is a 2-5-chambered capsule with small seeds. Sometimes plants from the close genus Schizophragma are confused with hydrangea, but you should know that the so-called petiolate hydrangea is actually a schizophragma.
Growing hydrangea - features
Well, now we can talk about the features of growing hydrangea in the garden. So:
- The color of large-leaved hydrangea flowers depends on the pH of the soil in which it grows: in neutral soil the flowers will be white or cream-colored, in acidic soil they will be blue or blue, in neutral soil they will be pink or lilac. Therefore, to create multi-colored bushes, it is enough to change the acidity of the soil under each of them;
- hydrangea is very moisture-loving, so take watering the plant seriously;
- Bright light is very important for hydrangea, but in direct sun the delicate petals quickly fade, so it is best to plant it where there is light partial shade in the hot afternoon;
- the most important factor in caring for hydrangea after the watering regime is timely and correct pruning;
- do not overfeed hydrangeas with organic matter, otherwise they, growing rapidly, will almost certainly not bloom;
- even cold-resistant varieties of hydrangea need warm shelter for the winter, but if your beauty is frozen, don’t despair: most likely, it will recover during the growing season;
- Hydrangea is very rarely affected by diseases or pests.
Planting hydrangea
Hydrangea from seeds
Species hydrangeas are successfully propagated by seed (generative) method. The method of seed propagation is also used for the purpose of selection experiments. How to grow hydrangea from seeds? Very simple, but you will need time.
Sowing of hydrangea seeds is carried out in the fall: hydrangea seeds are sown in a nutritious loose substrate consisting of a mixture of leaf and peat soil with river sand in a ratio of 4:2:1, which are then covered with a light layer of the same mixture and moistened with a sprayer. The container is covered with glass or film, which is periodically removed to ventilate the crops and moisten the substrate, which should be slightly damp all the time. The temperature required for germination is 14-20 ºC. As soon as the shoots appear (this usually happens after a month and a half), the glass can be removed.
Hydrangea seedlings need to be picked twice: the first time in the stage of development of cotyledon leaves, the second time in May. Moreover, during the second picking, each seedling is planted in a separate pot with a diameter of 7 cm. After the second picking, young hydrangeas for hardening are exposed during the day to fresh air in a place where direct sunlight, rain moisture and drafts do not reach. In the evening, the seedlings are brought into the room.
At home, hydrangeas are grown for two years, in winter - in a bright, cool room, and in summer, exposing them to fresh air if possible and removing emerging buds, so as not to weaken young plants by flowering.
Hydrangea seedlings
Two years later, in early spring, and if you live in a region with a cold climate, then in the fall, the grown seedlings are planted in open ground in a permanent place. When choosing a site for hydrangea, keep in mind that all species of this plant, without exception, love sunlight, but species such as rough hydrangea, ground cover, tree hydrangea and Sargenta hydrangea also thrive in light shade. The soil is preferably neutral or slightly acidic, loose and rich in organic matter. You can acidify alkaline soil with high-moor peat or Acid Plus acidifier.
Make sure that shrubs or trees with the same shallow root system as the hydrangea do not grow near the area allocated for hydrangea, since in the future there may be a struggle between them for moisture and nutrients in the top layer of soil. Planting hydrangea begins with digging a hole, which should be twice the size of the earthen ball of the hydrangea seedling. Add peat, mineral and organic fertilizers mixed with soil into the prepared hole. Remove the seedling along with the lump from the pot, carefully shake off the soil, straighten the roots, lower it into the hole and cover it with soil mixed with compost, so that the root lump protrudes slightly above the level of the site. Tamp down the soil, water the plant and mulch the area with pine needles or bark.
Caring for hydrangea in the garden
How to care for hydrangea
Caring for hydrangea in the garden is not at all difficult, but there are mandatory points that must be followed strictly. The most important condition for caring for hydrangea is properly organized watering - it should be plentiful, approximately 30-50 liters of warm, settled water for each adult plant twice a week in hot weather. If the soil is mulched with peat, you can water less often, since the peat remains moist for a long time.
To improve root aeration, it is necessary to loosen the soil around the bush several times during the spring and summer to a depth of about 5 cm. Do not forget to trim off faded shoots.
Hydrangea fertilizer
If you want the hydrangea to bloom in full force, you need to carry out complex feeding at least twice a year - before the hydrangea flowering period and after it. At the beginning of spring, hydrangea is fed with a solution of 20 g of urea per bucket of water on the basis that three buckets of such a solution will be needed to feed an adult plant. After flowering, hydrangea is fed with complex mineral fertilizers.
Throughout the summer, you can fertilize hydrangea from time to time with slurry, but be careful not to overfeed the plant, otherwise large inflorescences with their weight can break fragile branches. Just in case, tie up the shoots to prevent this from happening.
Pruning hydrangea
Hydrangeas that have reached three to four years of age must be pruned. Those species that bloom on the shoots of the current year are pruned in early spring, before the buds open and the sap begins to flow, so that the plant does not bleed out its juice and die. But pruning too early makes the cuttings obtained after it unsuitable for rooting. Therefore, you need to guess the time for pruning when the buds are only slightly swollen and take on a “living” appearance.
- Tree hydrangea is the first to be pruned - it wakes up earlier than other species. Its long shoots are pruned at the height of three or four buds, and the cut off parts are cut into cuttings.
- Hydrangea paniculata is pruned much more carefully: last year's shoots are cut by only a third, but even these segments make excellent cuttings.
- Large-leaved hydrangea is practically not pruned, only slightly rejuvenated, removing every fourth shoot annually, especially if it grows inside the bush, and, of course, dead or broken branches.
Propagation of hydrangea by cuttings
From the shoots you received after pruning, cut pieces with two nodes so that there is an oblique cut under the bottom node, and a straight one above the top one. There should be a distance of 2-3 cm from the node to the cut. Plant the cuttings in a greenhouse container with peat-sand soil, immersing the lower part 3 cm in the soil, and water well. Then cover the greenhouse with a polyethylene “house”.
Spray the cuttings with a spray bottle to keep the soil moist at all times. As soon as the cuttings take root, they are planted in open ground in a permanent place, where by the fall they will have time to grow enough to bravely survive the coming winter.
Hydrangea after flowering
When the hydrangea fades, it is time to prepare the plant for winter. Young seedlings growing in pots are transferred indoors, and the wilted inflorescences of garden hydrangeas are removed so that suddenly falling wet snow does not stick to them and break the fragile branches of the plant. In addition, you will need to hill up the base of the hydrangea bushes and mulch the area in which they grow to reliably protect their shallow root system for the winter.
The most cold-resistant hydrangeas are paniculata and groundcover. Their shoots become completely lignified by autumn, so they can more easily withstand winter cold even without shelter, if you do not live in a cold climate. Tree hydrangea can also withstand a mild winter without shelter.
Wintering hydrangea
Preparing hydrangea for winter
In warm, snowy winters, even heat-loving large-leaved and serrated hydrangeas can overwinter without man-made shelter, but no one will tell you for sure to what temperature the thermometer can drop in winter and how high the snow cover will be in the coming winter. To believe in assumptions and be wrong means to ruin your garden, so it is better to be vigilant and, perhaps, even distrustful of forecasts, but sleep peacefully on frosty nights, knowing that your plants are also fast asleep under their warm shelter.
So, how and when to cover hydrangeas for the winter? It is better to do this after the first frost, during October. Very young bushes are simply covered to the top with dry soil. Older bushes are bent to the ground and covered with lutrasil or roofing felt, which are pressed down with bricks so that they are not torn off by the wind. Mature bushes will require a lot of effort from you: the bush is carefully tied and wrapped with lutrasil or spunbond. Then a cylinder-shaped frame is built around it from a metal mesh at a distance of 20-25 cm from the bush, and the frame should be 10 cm higher than the plant. The space between the mesh and the hydrangea is filled with dry foliage, which is more than enough in the gardens at this time of year. In the spring, in April, the frame with foliage can be removed, and when a stable above-zero temperature is established, the spunbond is also removed.
Hydrangea in winter
Whether or not to cover your hydrangeas for the winter is up to you. We offer shelter options in case of a harsh and, most importantly, snowless winter. If there are no severe frosts in your area, then the shelter may be symbolic, and if your hydrangea is also a winter-hardy species, then perhaps there is no need to protect it from frost. But if the hydrangea in your garden is not a cold-resistant species, and winters in your area are unpredictable, use our tips in the fall to sleep peacefully in the winter, see how the hydrangea comes to life in the spring, and admire its incomparable, beautiful blooms in the summer .
Types and varieties of hydrangea
Before you plant hydrangea in your garden, you need to know which type is right for you, since each of them has its own requirements in agricultural technology. Growing paniculata hydrangea, for example, differs in some important aspects (pruning, preparing for winter) from growing tree or large-leaved hydrangea, therefore, the more you know about the species, the easier it will be for you to care for any of them. So...
Tree hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
A species widespread in the gardens of our climate zone. Tree hydrangea is a shrub that reaches a height of one to three meters. Inflorescences are formed at the ends of annual shoots; at the beginning of flowering, the flowers have a greenish tint, but when they bloom, they become white or cream.
Popular garden forms are Invisible Spirit - pink hydrangea, Sterilis - white hydrangea, characterized by abundant flowering, Annabelle hydrangea and Grandiflora hydrangea with large snow-white inflorescences (just do not confuse this variety of tree hydrangea with the paniculate hydrangea variety of the same name).
Hydrangea paniculata
In nature it grows as a shrub or tree with a height of two to five meters. In garden culture it is one of the most popular species. Hydrangea paniculata can grow in one place for more than forty years. Its shoots quickly become woody, which makes this species resistant to cold. Inflorescences form on the tops of the current year's shoots, so the flowering is very abundant, although the buds that appear at the end of June open only by August or September. Hydrangea inflorescences are paniculate pyramidal in shape, the flowers at the very beginning of flowering have a greenish tint, then turn white, closer to autumn they become pink, then brick and at the end of flowering they become greenish again.
The most famous garden forms: Grandiflora, hydrangea Vanilla Fraze, Quishu, Tardiva.
Large leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
Which is called garden, is most often grown in the garden, but there are compact varieties that can be grown in containers on terraces and even indoors. This species has dense foliage of bright green color, the shoots of the current year are herbaceous, so the plant has very low cold resistance. However, the buds for the current year's shoots, at the ends of which inflorescences bloom, are laid the previous autumn, so it is believed that large-leaved hydrangea blooms on last year's shoots. The shape of the inflorescences is usually umbrella-shaped, viburnum-shaped, which is usually called Japanese, or hemispherical. The color of the flowers depends on the pH level of the soil.
For example, the following varieties of recently bred cold-resistant varieties are interesting: Endless summer - blue hydrangea if it grows in acidic soil, and lilac if it grows in neutral soil; Renata Stanger – blue hydrangea; variety forms with double flowers Romance and Expression.
Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
A very attractive appearance, but, unfortunately, not at all winter-hardy, therefore requiring thorough insulation for the winter. It impresses not only with its lush flowering, but also with its beautifully shaped leaves, unusual for hydrangea. Oakleaf hydrangea grows up to two meters in height, has paniculate inflorescences 10-30 cm in length with white flowers at the beginning of flowering, and eventually purple flowers that bloom in June-July.
Ground cover hydrangea (Hydrangea heteromalla)
Or hydrangea variegated - a frost-resistant species, reaching a height of two to three meters in nature. In culture it is often used to form a standard form. Dark green leaves 20 cm long have a smooth surface and a woolly, pubescent underside; the inflorescences are loose, corymbose, at first white, but turning pink towards the end of flowering. Blooms in late June or early July. Particularly popular is the Bretschneider groundcover hydrangea, which blooms profusely with large milky-white inflorescences.
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Family: hydrangeas (Hydrangeaceae).
Motherland
Hydrangeas are naturally distributed in East Asia, North and South America. Two types of hydrangeas are found in Russia.
Form: deciduous shrub.
Description
Hydrangeas are deciduous, large-leaved, ornamental (sometimes liana-shaped) shrubs or small trees with opposite leaves and numerous flowers collected in large inflorescences in the form of corymbose or conical panicles. Flowers on a plant are usually of two types: in the middle of the plant they are small, fruit-bearing, and at the edges they are large, showy, but barren. The color of hydrangea flowers can be different: white, cream, blue, pink. In total, 35 species of hydrangea are known.
Hydrangea paniculata (N. paniculata) - a tall shrub or tree, reaching a height of 2.5 m, with dense dark green leaves. Hydrangea paniculata blooms from mid-June until frost; The color of the flowers is white and pink. The inflorescences are broadly pyramidal, erect or drooping, 10-35 cm long. Hydrangea paniculata is durable, frost-resistant, and grows quickly. In the southern regions the plant bears fruit.
(N. arborescens). A shrub up to 1.5 m high with straight shoots and large spherical inflorescences. Tree hydrangea leaves are elliptical green with bluish pubescence below. Inflorescences in the form of scutes with a diameter of up to 15 cm cover the entire bush. The color of the flowers is white or cream. Tree hydrangea is winter-hardy and grows quickly. In addition, this type of hydrangea tolerates the presence of lime in the soil better than others. Hydrangea tree propagates well by layering.
Large-leaved hydrangea, or garden hydrangea (H. macrophylla, hortensis). A very common type of hydrangea with many cultivars. Garden hydrangea is less winter-hardy than other types of hydrangeas, so it is planted in open ground in the southern regions; In central Russia, garden or large-leaved hydrangea is often planted in pots or used in winter gardens. Garden hydrangea is a shrub up to 1 m high with straight shoots and simple bright green leaves up to 15 cm long. Garden hydrangea blooms in July-August. The color of the flowers is pink and lilac, bluish, less often white. Garden hydrangea or large-leaved hydrangea is very decorative; it stands out in the garden with its bright green foliage and huge bright inflorescences.
(H. petiolaris) is a creeping plant with dark, reddish-brown shoots reaching 20-25 m in length. The shoots of petiolate hydrangea have supporting roots along their entire length. In the absence of support, it spreads along the ground. The leaves of petiolate hydrangea are broadly ovate, green, shiny (yellow in autumn). Young plants grow slowly. Petiolate hydrangea tolerates some shading, but blooms profusely only in illuminated areas (melliferous flowers bloom in June). In open, windy places, petiolate hydrangea freezes slightly, so it is planted in protected places.
(H. bretschneideri). Shrub up to 3 m high with chestnut-brown shoots. The leaves of Bretschneider's hydrangea are ovate or ovate-elliptic, dark green in summer and yellow-brown in autumn. The simple flowers are collected in numerous corymbose inflorescences with a diameter of 10-20 cm. The sterile flowers are white, then pink and purple, located in small numbers along the edge of the inflorescence. Brettschneider's hydrangea blooms profusely from June to August and has a faint, pleasant scent. Bretschneider's hydrangea is the most winter-hardy of all hydrangeas.
Hortensia Sargent (H. sargentiana). A shrub from 0.8 to 1 m in height with thick, erect, tomentose-pubescent shoots up to 1 m in height and dark green velvety leaves. It is distinguished by unusual inflorescences with bluish or violet-lilac central flowers and white marginal flowers that look like stars. Sargent hydrangea blooms in late July or early August and blooms until frost. Sargent's hydrangea is not winter-hardy and needs shelter for the winter.
Hydrangea serrata (N. serrata), oakleaf hydrangea (N. quercifolia), rough hydrangea (H. aspera), ashen hydrangea (N. cinerea), hydrangea radiata (N. radiata) are non-frost-resistant species that do not winter in central Russia and require shelter.
Growing conditions
Almost all hydrangeas grow best in partial shade and can suffer greatly from drought. Only garden hydrangea (large-leaved) and paniculata hydrangea can grow in sufficiently bright light. Growing hydrangea is possible only in moist soils; plants prefer acidic or fertile substrates. Alkaline soils and excess lime can lead to hydrangea chlorosis. Hydrangea does not tolerate soil compaction. Different types of hydrangeas have different frost resistance, but in most species, immature shoots freeze. Garden forms with colored inflorescences, as a rule, require shelter for the winter, but transplant them into containers and keep them indoors until spring.
Application
Hydrangea will always take its rightful place in the garden; its use is extremely diverse: group plantings and plantings (chereshchkovaya hydrangea). Hydrangea looks great with other beautiful flowering shrubs; Contrasting color combinations of hydrangeas are good.
In the garden, planting tree hydrangea with, will look spectacular. Tree hydrangea is used in the design of tree and shrub groups and the creation of edges.
Hydrangea petiolate is often used in, suitable for decorating the walls of a house and other buildings, and used as a vertical accent.
Care
Hydrangea is a moisture-loving plant that does not tolerate drought very well, so it needs to be watered (once a month, and in drought - once a week, 15-20 liters per plant). In addition, it is advisable to add bark, wood chips, pine needles, and leaves to the soil so that the soil retains moisture and is more acidic. Since hydrangea does not grow well on dense soils, the soil in the tree trunk zone must be loosened 2-3 times per season to a depth of 5-6 cm. Hydrangea prefers soils rich in organic matter, so it is recommended to feed it - apply organic fertilizers.
You can only prune paniculate hydrangea and petiolate hydrangea. Large-leaved (garden) hydrangea cannot be pruned, since the buds form on last year's shoots. paniculate hydrangea and petiolate hydrangea is possible due to the fact that they form inflorescences on the shoots of the current year. Hydrangea pruning is carried out at the beginning of the growing season (March-April). Later, pruning hydrangea is undesirable, as the plant will develop worse and may not bloom at all. In the first years, pruning of hydrangea should not be too severe. In liana-shaped hydrangea, the frozen tips of the shoots are shortened. In old plants, severe rejuvenating pruning is possible. In autumn, faded hydrangea inflorescences should be removed.
Hydrangea needs shelter in winter (heat-loving species). Before the onset of autumn frosts, hydrangea is hilled to a height of 20 cm and covered with a bucket of dry peat. Shoots that are higher than the shelter can be cut off. In spring, you need to ensure that hydrangeas are not damaged by late frosts. It is possible to cover hydrangeas with greenhouse film or lutrasil (in two layers). To avoid rotting of hydrangeas, lutrasil is placed in the lower layer, closer to the plant.
To change the color of pink large-leaved hydrangea flowers to blue, it is necessary to increase the acidity of the soil to pH5 by adding peat and iron salts.
Reproduction
The most common method of propagation is hydrangea cuttings. Hydrangea, which can be propagated by other vegetative methods - winter (only large-leaved hydrangea), by dividing the bush - is also propagated by seeds. However, hydrangea from seeds is a less reliable and more labor-intensive method of propagation (as well as grafting). Hydrangea is sown either in open ground in April-May, or in a greenhouse in December. Seedlings need to be fed and weeded.
All hydrangeas can be propagated by dividing the bush. Division is carried out in spring or autumn. After planting, the plants are watered. When planted in spring and autumn, hydrangeas take root. Petiolate hydrangea propagates by cuttings and layering.
Hydrangea seedlings can be purchased at a garden center or ordered online.
Diseases and pests
Possible diseases of hydrangea are chlorosis (leaves turn yellow, shoots break, flowers become smaller) and downy mildew (oily, later yellowing spots appear on the leaves, gradually darkening and increasing in size). The cause of chlorosis is an excess of lime in the soil, and downy mildew is caused by increased air humidity. To avoid the appearance of chlorosis, root feeding with iron salts or complete complex fertilizers is recommended.
Hydrangea can also be affected by sucking insects that feed on tissue sap on young leaves: spider mites (on the underside of the leaf), green leaf aphids, and meadow bugs. These hydrangea pests cause chlorosis of leaves and loss of decorativeness of plants.
With increased humidity and dense plantings, hydrangeas may be “attacked” by snails and slugs.
If there are a large number of pests, hydrangeas are sprayed with preparations such as Karbofos, Fitoverm, Actellik. It is recommended to use the drug Meta against slugs.
Popular varieties
Varieties of large-leaved hydrangea (garden)
‘Quadricolor’. A shrub up to 2 m high. It is distinguished by its decorative foliage - dark green with bright cream and yellow spots. Flowers white or pink (late summer).
'Nigra'. A shrub with black shiny stems and cream flowers that later change color to mauve.
‘Altona’. Shade-loving shrub with huge pink inflorescences (up to 30 cm in diameter).
Among the varieties of large-leaved hydrangea, the following can also be noted: 'Lilacina', ‘Perfecta’, 'Tricolor', 'Hamburg', 'Admiration', 'Bergfink', 'Bouquet Rose', 'Lemmenhof'.
Tree hydrangea varieties
Hydrangea paniculata varieties
‘Grandiflora’. Medium-sized shrub from 2 to 3 m in height and width; medium or fast growing. Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ has large, racemose inflorescences; initially white, then pink. The branches of Hydrangea ‘Grandiflora’ may droop under the weight of the flowers. The leaves of this hydrangea variety are rough, ovate, light green (they do not change color in autumn).
‘Floribunda’. Shrub with abundant flowering. Inflorescences are white, narrow; later they turn pinkish.
'Kyushu'. A medium-sized shrub from 2 to 3 m in height and width, medium or fast growing. The inflorescences are large, racemose; initially white, then pink. The branches often reach to the ground. The leaves are the same as those of Hydrangea ‘Grandiflora’.
'Limelight'. Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ is a shrub up to 2 m tall. The flowers are large, lemon yellow, then white, and later pinkish. Hydrangea ‘Limelight’ grows in sun and partial shade.
'Unique'. Hydrangea ‘Unique’ is a medium-sized shrub from 2 to 3 in height and width; medium or fast growing. Hydrangea paniculata 'Unique' has very wide inflorescences with numerous, first white, then raspberry-pink flowers. Branches may droop under the weight of flowers. Hydrangea ‘Unic’ blooms in August-September. The leaves are the same as those of the hydrangeas ‘Grandiflora’ and ‘Kyushu’.
The following varieties of paniculata hydrangea are also popular: ‘Brussels Lace’, 'Mathilda', 'Pink Diamond', ‘Tardiva’.
You can also learn about how to grow hydrangea and how to care for hydrangea from the Internet.
Majority hydrangeas (Hydrangea) - small deciduous trees or shrubs, not exceeding 1 - 3 meters in height, but there are also tree-like vines up to 30 meters high. There are about 80 in the Hydrangeaceae family types of hydrangeas, almost all of them are native to North America and Southeast Asia, including Japan and China. Several types of hydrangeas grow in the Russian Far East.
All hydrangeas have opposite, rounded leaves with jagged edges. Large corymbose inflorescences or conical panicles appear at the ends of the current year's shoots in the second half of summer.
Hydrangea inflorescences consist of large, very noticeable flowers, consisting of four to five flat petals, but these flowers are sterile, and small, very unsightly flowers, but they produce seeds.
For reference: flowers from which seeds can be obtained are called fertile.
In central Russia, only a few types of hydrangeas can be grown in open ground, namely: tree hydrangea, ashy hydrangea, radiant hydrangea, oakleaf hydrangea, paniculata hydrangea, large-leaved hydrangea, groundcover hydrangea, Sargent hydrangea, Bretschneider hydrangea, petiolate hydrangea.
- a very common type of hydrangea native to North America. Tree hydrangea is a spreading bush of erect shoots up to 1 meter high; the shoots in the lower part branch, some lie down and take root.
Tree hydrangea has light green opposite leaves up to 20 centimeters long, located on long petioles. White or pink inflorescences of tree hydrangea bloom from mid-July. The shape of the inflorescences is convex shields up to 15 - 20 centimeters in diameter, consisting of large sterile and small fertile flowers. In harsh winters, unripe young shoots of tree hydrangea can freeze.
Tree hydrangea has several varieties. The most famous is Annabelle, which is a low-growing bush with dark green leaves and very large, up to 30 centimeters in diameter, round white or greenish inflorescences consisting of sterile flowers.
The tree hydrangea variety Grandiflora is the most common variety; it has large inflorescences, up to 20 centimeters in diameter, of large sterile cream flowers that turn green over time.
The Sterilis variety is very similar to the Grandiflora variety, only its inflorescences are slightly smaller.
For the winter, the faded inflorescences of tree hydrangea need to be pruned. Pruning of weak, diseased, dry or thickening shoots should be done either in early spring, before the leaves bloom, or in the summer, when all the leaves have completely bloomed.
Tree hydrangea grows well in both sun and partial shade. It requires little care, unlike large-leaved hydrangea, it grows well not only on neutral soil rich in organic matter, it can even grow on poor soils, although flowering suffers greatly. Tree hydrangea is considered drought-resistant.
Tree hydrangea can be planted in the garden in groups on lawns, next to a pond, or in a border planting along paths. It can be planted next to tree groups in a Japanese-themed garden.
- decorative deciduous shrub up to 2 meters high with a wide spreading crown. - grayish pubescence on the underside of leaves and young shoots. Ash hydrangea leaves are broadly elliptical, jagged at the edges, up to 15 centimeters long. Inflorescences are corymbose, up to 15 centimeters in diameter. Blooms in July.
Ash hydrangea overwinters well in our climate, but in cold winters young shoots can freeze, although in the spring the bush quickly recovers. In order not to take risks, in the fall the bushes of ashen hydrangea can be covered for the winter.
Ash hydrangea, like tree hydrangea, is undemanding to soil fertility and moisture, which makes it indispensable for planting medium-sized hedges. It tolerates partial shade well and is decorative throughout the growing season.
- a very decorative deciduous shrub slightly more than 1 meter high. Oakleaf hydrangea is less known in Russia than Sargent hydrangea, but deserves attention due to its somewhat unusual leaves for hydrangeas. They have 5-7 large lobes, reach a length of 20 centimeters, are dark green in summer, bronze-red or purple in autumn, very reminiscent of oak leaves. The underside of the leaves is white tomentose.
The inflorescences of oakleaf hydrangea are conical, panicle-shaped, up to 20 centimeters in length, in which there are a lot of large sterile flowers, up to 3 centimeters in diameter. At first, the inflorescences bloom white, then turn pink, and in the fall they acquire a deeper, almost crimson color with greenery.
In cold winters, oakleaf hydrangea can freeze slightly, so it needs shelter.
Hydrangea largeleaf, or garden (Hydrangea macrophylla) is a small, less than 1 meter tall, shrub native to Japan. Large-leaved hydrangea has bright green, jagged leaves up to 15 centimeters in length. Among the cultivated large-leaved hydrangeas there are forms close to wild ones, with corymbose inflorescences and individual sterile flowers. However, along with these forms, varietal hydrangeas are already widely cultivated, with spherical inflorescences up to 25 centimeters in diameter, consisting only of sterile flowers, usually pink. However, their color can change from pink to blue depending on the acidity of the soil. There are also bred, resistant varieties with blue flowers.
Large-leaved hydrangea can be successfully grown indoors, but it is most widespread in amateur gardens in open ground. It should be noted that despite the low winter hardiness, large-leaved hydrangea with great success, along with roses, conquers our gardens and hearts)). Hydrangea macrophylla can be used to create a garden in a poetic style.
Among the variety of modern varieties of large-leaved hydrangea, there are plants with white, red, blue flowers; the edges of the petals can be smooth or jagged. The most frost-resistant varieties of large-leaved hydrangea are Blue Wale and Mariesii. Caring for large-leaved hydrangea.
Hydrangea paniculata (Hydrangea paniculata) is a deciduous shrub with a wide crown up to 1.5 - 2 meters in height, which can be formed in the form of a small tree. Hydrangea paniculata has very dense, oblong-rounded, dark green leaves, up to 12 centimeters in length.
Hydrangea paniculata is perhaps the most “northern” of all types of hydrangeas. It blooms from late June - mid-July to the end of August. The inflorescences are strongly convex shields, very similar to panicles, in which both sterile and fertile flowers are mixed. Hydrangea paniculata is a very persistent and profusely flowering hydrangea. At the very beginning of flowering, unopened buds have a greenish color; when in full bloom, the inflorescences become white; by the beginning of autumn, their color smoothly turns into crimson or crimson-violet.
Hydrangea paniculata is very winter-hardy. In late autumn, it is recommended to trim off faded inflorescences. In the spring, before the buds open, the main pruning of the shoots is carried out. If hydrangea is grown as a tree, then formative pruning should also be carried out in early spring.
Varieties of hydrangea paniculata: Grandiflora - with long, up to 25 centimeters, conical inflorescences, in which there are many large sterile flowers; Praecox is an early flowering variety with medium-sized inflorescences, but the flowers in the inflorescence have jagged edges, Pinky-Winky, Kyushu.
Hydrangea paniculata is good both as a tapeworm and in group plantings; it can grow in open areas and in light partial shade, but it is more demanding of soil moisture and nutritional value than tree hydrangea.
Hydrangea ground cover, or variegated (Hydrangea heteromalla) is a deciduous spreading shrub more than 2 meters tall. Ground cover hydrangea is easy to form into a tree. The upper side of the leaves is dark green, the lower side is light, covered with pubescence. The leaves are up to 20 centimeters in length, elliptical, with a sharp end and a wedge-shaped base, located on reddish petioles.
Ground cover hydrangea blooms in July. The corymbose inflorescences are wide, but liquid, containing mainly small fertile flowers, among which here and there there are sterile, larger flowers. At the beginning of flowering, the shields are white, towards autumn they turn pink, and sometimes they can acquire a brighter crimson or purple color. Groundcover hydrangea is drought-resistant, winter-hardy, and grows quickly. Easily propagated in spring and autumn by dividing the bush, during the summer by root suckers and green cuttings.
A neatly trimmed groundcover hydrangea bush is an excellent tapeworm.
It is very similar to ground cover hydrangea, differing only in smaller leaves on short petioles and not so wide inflorescences. Bretschneider's hydrangea blooms in July, the color of the inflorescences is white, and by autumn it turns crimson. Grows well in partial shade. Hydrangea is highly winter-hardy and does not require shelter for the winter.
A neatly trimmed Brettschneider hydrangea bush makes an excellent tapeworm.
- a very unusual Chinese hydrangea with thick, erect, tomentose-pubescent shoots up to 1 meter high. It has very interesting - powerful, dark green, velvety leaves. In July, reddish-brown inflorescences with rare white stars of sterile flowers bloom at the tops of the shoots.
In our climate, hydrangea sargenta is grown as an ordinary perennial, because every winter the shoots freeze completely, at the root, but grow back in the spring and bloom annually. Perhaps you should also pay attention to this type of hydrangea when creating a Japanese or Chinese garden.
Hydrangea rough, or rough, (Hydrangea aspera), bristly hydrangea (Hydrangea strigosa), hydrangea tomentosa (Hydrangea villosa) with leaves narrowed to the base and bluish flowers are the closest relatives of the hydrangea sargenta. Just like Sargent hydrangea, these types of hydrangeas can be grown as regular perennial herbaceous plants in our climate. They grow well in open sunny places and in partial shade.
All of these frost-free hydrangeas will look best in mixed flower beds, including herbaceous perennials that camouflage them.
Hydrangea radiata (Hydrangea radiata) is an erect deciduous shrub with tomentose pubescence on the shoots. The leaves are dark green, toothed, semi-heart-shaped, light underneath, pubescent, with reticulate venation. The white inflorescences of Hydrangea radiata bloom in July.
Hydrangea radiata is sun-loving, but you need to monitor the moisture and fertility of the soil. Hydrangea radiata overwinters only with shelter for the winter, and even then it can freeze, but it quickly recovers and blooms annually.
Hydrangea radiata looks good in group plantings on the lawn; it can also be successfully used for border plantings along the path.
Hydrangea petiolate (Hydrangea petiolaris) - a liana, up to 25 meters in height, with small, green, glossy leaves and large, up to 25 centimeters, white inflorescence shields. Petiolate hydrangea can be used in vertical gardening of gazebos and walls. It is quite winter-hardy and prefers partial shade.
General care for hydrangeas
Landing location
Hydrangeas prefer a bright place with diffused sunlight, so partial shade is best for them in the garden - in the full sun, hydrangeas can only do well with a thick layer of mulch. For freezing types of hydrangeas, you need to choose places protected from northern winds.
The soil
All types of hydrangeas prefer slightly or moderately acidic soils. They cannot tolerate lime in the soil at all. If you plant hydrangea on calcareous soils, it will immediately develop chlorosis of the leaves.
In addition to high acidity requirements, the soil for hydrangeas must be fertile and moist. Large-leaved hydrangea also requires high air humidity.
During the growing season, you need to monitor the soil: it should always be loose and free of weeds. Therefore, to reduce labor costs, use soil mulching.
Watering
Watering, if there is no rain, should be regular, up to 2 buckets per week. Rain water is preferable, if not, then tap water needs to settle; you can place a bag of peat in a container with water to soften and acidify. It is better to water early in the morning or in the evening, after sunset.
Top dressing
Fertilizing in spring and early summer can be done with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or slurry. As for mineral fertilizers, in spring and in the first half of summer it is advisable to use acidic fertilizers, such as ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate. At the end of summer and autumn - phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
To change the color of large-leaved hydrangea flowers, you can use aluminum alum or iron salts.
Trimming
Some types of hydrangeas require annual pruning in early spring, during the bud stage. If pruning is not carried out, the bushes will stretch in length until they break under their own weight. Hydrangea bushes do not form until three to four years old. Subsequently, adult hydrangea bushes undergo formative pruning annually.
All types of hydrangeas, except paniculata and large-leaved ones, should be heavily pruned. It stimulates not only the intensive growth of shoots, but also the formation of large inflorescences. Heavy pruning of last year's growth is carried out annually, in early spring, leaving only 1 - 3 internodes on the shoot. With light pruning there will be many small inflorescences. But paniculata hydrangea, on the contrary, blooms better with light pruning. In large-leaved hydrangea, it is very important to preserve last year's shoots completely, because it is on them that shoots with inflorescences grow next year.
Reproduction
Hydrangeas are propagated by dividing the bush, preferably in the spring, with annual non-lignified green shoots; they are cut when they are still flexible. Hydrangea cuttings take root both in water and under a jar. But it’s even easier to propagate hydrangeas by layering and root suckers.
Shelter for the winter
Frost resistance of hydrangeas varies. Non-winter-hardy, freezing hydrangea species require shelter for the winter. The base of the bushes is sprinkled with dry sawdust, peat, humus, sand, and covered with leaves or non-woven material on top. In addition, the large-leaved hydrangea is also covered with a box, and on top - with plastic film or roofing felt, so that melt water does not get inside the shelter, otherwise the shoots from high humidity may dry out and there will be no flowering.
Source of information: https://ru.wikipedia.org, http://dachadecor.ru
Image source: https://sorticulturist.wordpress.com, http://www.forestventure.com, http://punarinnanreviirilla.blogspot.ru, commons.wikimedia.org, www.canadaplants.ca, flickr.com: Kingsbrae Garden (3), Henryr10 (2), Nobuhiro Suhara (5), Luong Pham, Invincibelle Spirit (2), theroadhere, John Hagstrom (2), rachelgreenbelt (2), Danny Barron, dollywings [Pat], debra prinzing, The New York Botanical Garden, yokohamayomama, Jenny Walters, RPOP, sml106, Martien Uiterweerd, Robert Sarkisian, Roger Wasley Photography, Keishi Etoh, B. Bowen Carr, Kai Yan, Joseph Wong, Light Collector, Josiah Lau Photography, Vojtěch Zavadil (3) , JAYKAY144, Paco Garin, gartenknorze (2), Bernhard Demes, Geo F-Winterspoon, fam_Angjer, HEN-Magonza, John Hagstrom (2), Jon. D. Anderson, Tom Potterfield (2), Chironius, chuck b., Jörg Kaspari, ScotiaWolf, Ueli, Hans Runge, Alistair, Hickory Hollow Nursery and Garden Center, Quinta de Corujas, Ingemar Tømmerås, Tim Wood, sandra blanks (2) , Jan Smith, Laura Ann, Sue Day
Thanks to its lush colorful inflorescences, as well as its relative ease of care, hydrangea is highly valued by florists around the world. Bush varieties of this plant look unusually attractive in landscape design, decorating gardens, parks, alleys and flower beds. In turn, indoor hydrangea harmoniously complements the interior decoration of houses and apartments; it is often used in wedding decor. These flowers can be grown both in open ground and on a windowsill or balcony - in any case, their elegant sophistication will delight others throughout the warm season.
Features of the flower
In the botanical classification, Hydrangeaceae form a separate family of the Tsvetkov genus. Most of them are perennial bushes and trees up to 3 meters high, but there are also vines that can climb up to 30 meters in length. Species growing in the subtropics may be evergreen, but the main part belongs to the deciduous group.
Hydrangea flowering lasts 5-6 months - from late spring to late autumn. Many spherical, paniculate or shield-shaped inflorescences appear on the bush. Most species are characterized by a creamy-white color of the petals, but depending on the plant variety and the chemical composition of the soil, options are possible from rich blue, purple, crimson tones to delicate bluish-pink and pastel yellow tints. The palette of these flowers seems to reflect all the colors of the sky, which can be observed before sunrise on a clear day.
Types of hydrangea
Despite the fact that the birthplace of wild hydrangea is subtropical Japan, as a result of selection it was possible to adapt it to the more severe climate of Central European latitudes. Currently, there are more than a hundred cultivated varieties of this plant. Among them there are several species that tolerate frost well: tree hydrangea, petiolate hydrangea, paniculate hydrangea, large-leaved hydrangea. The latter is most often grown indoors, greenhouses, and winter gardens.
It is a fairly large bush 1.5-3 m high, with a crown diameter of up to 2-2.5 m. This species attracts everyone's attention with luxurious spherical or pyramidal inflorescences of white, cream, pinkish-lilac, bright blue against a background of heart-shaped dark -green leaves with a serrated edge. In favorable conditions, many varieties of tree hydrangea grow for 10-15 years, but their branches should be regularly pruned and the soil should be fed with fertilizers.
It belongs to the vines, so it is ideal for vertical gardening. Weaving shoots fill any space, be it the supports of a gazebo or veranda, fences, arches and other similar structures. The petiole species is characterized by a large number of white paniculate or umbrella-shaped inflorescences. The height of the vines can be up to 10-15 m.
Notable for its fluffy pyramidal inflorescences reminiscent of lilacs. Their length can vary from 20 to 35 cm. These are mainly white and pink varieties, the main advantage of which is their abundant flowering. The stems of this hydrangea are relatively low - up to 80 cm, so it is usually grown in flower beds.
The brightest and most colorful group of all. Saturated violet, purple, cornflower, light green-yellow shades often mix with each other even on one inflorescence-ball, not to mention the proximity of several multi-colored bushes. There are also smaller, indoor varieties of large-leaf hydrangea. Their main advantage is their compactness, while the inflorescences are not inferior in decorativeness to their garden predecessors.
Planting (propagation) of hydrangea
There are several ways to propagate hydrangeas - cuttings, dividing the bush and layering. If there was no such plant on the site before, you will need to buy ready-made seedlings. It is best to start in the spring so that the flower has time to take root well in the first year, without the threat of frost.
A hole of 30x30x30 cm is prepared for the seedling, it is filled with a mixture of turf soil, peat and sand, followed by mineral fertilizers. If necessary, the dried ends of the roots can be shortened slightly. There is no need to cover the root collar with soil. After planting, the young plant requires moderate but regular watering.
Cuttings are only suitable for large-leaf hydrangeas, since they are the most compact. For this purpose, in the fall (October-early November), the parent bush is transplanted from the street into a pot and left in a cold place (from 0 to + 2C). From January, the temperature around the plant should rise to +10C. In February, cuttings ripen on the shoots, from which the lower leaves are removed, the cut site is treated with a growth stimulant and planted on this side in a nutritious soil mixture, covering the top with a jar or bottle to create a greenhouse effect. After rooting, the cutting can be moved to a permanent place.
Young annual shoots are rooted by layering, digging them into the ground in the fall without separating them from the bush. You need to leave a tip at least 20 cm long on top. After 5-6 months, the shoot is cut off from the mother plant and replanted.
The division of the bush is also done in spring or autumn, and each part must have strong roots. The sowing method of propagation is rarely used; this is mainly done by breeders. It takes 2 years to grow hydrangea from seeds to seedlings.
How to care for hydrangea?
Being a perennial shrub, hydrangea tolerates weather changes well and is resistant to pests and diseases. Even after a slight freezing, her vegetative system quickly recovers. Of course, like most cultivated plants, hydrangea requires timely and careful care. Many varieties should be covered with mulch for the winter or dug up and stored in the basement. But in the end, hydrangea generously repays the attention with truly royal beauty and record-breaking long flowering.
Lighting
In order for hydrangea to develop normally, it is necessary to provide good lighting in the morning and evening hours. At the same time, the bush should be protected from the scorching afternoon sun by the shadow falling from a tree, hedge or corner of a building. In open areas, it is advisable to choose the eastern or western side.
Watering
The official name of hydrangea - Hydrangea - indicates the moisture-loving nature of this plant. This means that the ground underneath should always remain moist, but not too much. For irrigation, settled or filtered water at room temperature is suitable, always without lime. In hot weather, or if the room with the flower has dry air, it should be humidified by spraying water from a spray bottle.
Fertilizers
Feeding hydrangea with minerals is carried out only in the summer, during flowering, and ends in mid-August. For this purpose, mix 40 g of superphosphate + 30 g of ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate, dissolve the powder in a bucket of water and water the ornamental plant twice a week.
Trimming
Depending on the method of formation of future flowers, hydrangeas are divided into two groups. The first includes almost all large-leaved varieties, petiolate (climbing), oak-leaved and prickly. Their flower buds form at the ends of last year's branches. For this reason, it is advisable to carry out pruning in the spring, when both new buds and dry, dead parts are clearly visible, which should be removed.
The second category is tree and paniculate hydrangeas. In this case, the formation of future flowers occurs on new branches, and all last year's ones simply need to be cut off, leaving only one pair of buds. This procedure will contribute to the rejuvenation of the plant and the appearance of large, beautiful inflorescences. The right time for a haircut is late February - early March.
Although many varieties of hydrangea have their own specific color, its intensity, as well as the unique play of colors, largely depends on the acid-base balance of the soil under a particular plant. Adding certain elements to the soil makes it possible to adjust the shades.
Under the influence of an acidic environment, the petals become violet-blue, alkali gives them a reddish-pink tone, and a neutral base gives them a pastel cream or beige color.
To obtain a blue color, experienced gardeners water hydrangea with a solution of aluminum sulfate (15 g/l). Additionally, high-moor peat and spruce and pine mulch are added. For indoor plants, you can purchase a ready-made acidic substrate (for conifers and rhododendrons).
To add brightness to pink, lime, chalk, and dolomite flour are mixed into the soil. When growing indoor hydrangea the color of dawn, it is better to choose a universal peat mixture without any fillers.
Hydrangea is a bright, voluminous and delicate plant that can be placed in the house or planted on the plot. She is quite easy to care for, and following simple tricks will give her incredible color. More photos and interesting solutions for a country house are in our photo selection. Enjoy watching!
Hydrangea , or Hydrangea ( lat. Hydrangea) - a genus of flowering plants in the family Hydrangeaceae. A number of authors include this genus in the family Saxifragaceae (Saxifragaceae).
The genus Hydrangea consists, according to various sources, of 35 - 80 plant species, whose habitats are South and East Asia, North and South America, with the greatest species diversity in East Asia, especially in China and Japan. Several types of hydrangea grow in Russia's Far East.
Name "Hydrangea" was given in honor of Princess Hortense, the sister of the Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Karl-Heinrich of Nassau-Siegen, in 1768. Later, European botanists and taxonomists gave the plant the name "Hydrangea", which can be translated as "vessel of water" (other -Greek ὕδωρ - water, ἄγγος - vessel). According to one version, the name was given to hydrangea for the shape of the seed pods, reminiscent of a jug, according to another - for its moisture-loving nature.
Hydrangea was first brought to Europe from Japan in 1820. In 1900, its selection began. These were mainly varieties obtained from a poorly winter-hardy species of large-leaved or garden hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla, Hydrangea hortensis). Therefore, at first, hydrangea was grown only as a houseplant.
Already by the 60s of the XX century. About 100 varieties were bred. The plant is one of the most common garden plants in the world.
Most species are shrubs 1-3 m tall, some species are small trees, the rest are vines that climb the trunks of other trees to a height of up to 30 m. Plants can be either deciduous or evergreen, but widely cultivated species of the temperate zone are classified as deciduous .
Hydrangeas bloom from spring to late autumn. The flowers are collected at the end of the stem into beautiful spherical inflorescences - a corymb or panicle. In most species, the flower heads contain two types of flowers: small fertile flowers in the middle and large sterile flowers at the edges. In some species, all flowers are fertile and have the same size.
The vast majority of flowers are white, but some, such as bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), can be blue, red, pink and lilac. In such species, the color often depends on the pH level (hydrogen index) in the soil: in acidic soils, the petals become blue, in neutral soils - pale beige, and in alkaline soils - pink or lilac. Hydrangeas are one of the few plants that can accumulate aluminum, which is released from acidic soils and in some species forms compounds that give them blue tints.
The fruit of hydrangea is a 2-5-part capsule with numerous small seeds.
Plants from another related genus Schizophragma also sometimes called hydrangeas. Among climbing plants, the most famous are Schizophragma hydrangeoides and Hydrangea petiolaris. 
Hydrangeas- beautiful unpretentious and hardy ornamental plants with beautiful varied colors and a long flowering period of its large hemispherical inflorescences. Caps of white, red, pink, blue hydrangeas decorate rooms in early spring, and gardens in summer and late autumn.
For successful flowering of hydrangea, two basic requirements must be met: coolness, in winter 10-12°C, not lower than 8°C, and constantly moist soil.
Types of hydrangea
Hydrangea largeleaf , or garden (Hydrangea macrophylla) . The homeland of the plant is China, Japan. A beautiful ornamental shrub. In the subtropics it reaches 4 m in height, but as you move north it “decreases in height” to 1-2 m. It is distinguished by erect shoots. The leaves are simple, ovate, bright green. The sterile flowers are large, pink, with dark carmine strokes up to 3.5 cm in diameter, the fertile flowers are lilac, sometimes blue, less often white, in flat wide corymbs (10 x 15 cm). In garden forms, the inflorescences are spherical, up to 20-25 cm in diameter, they are formed at the ends of the shoots. Blooms in July-August.
A plant with flat inflorescences, along the edges of which there are large sterile flowers, and the middle is occupied by fruiting ones. Plants with corymbose flowers are very elegant.
A very original variety of hydrangea. The flowers constantly change color - at first they are lemon-greenish, then turn pink and then become pink with a green edge. Some petals have no edging. Hundreds of small flowers form large, almost spherical inflorescences. The bushes are very compact, 90-120 cm high, 60-90 cm wide. Flowering in July-September, a little later than other varieties from the "Magical" series.
Excellent for cutting into vases and as dried flowers. The growing location is sunny or semi-shaded. The soil must be fertile and must be kept moist. Good drainage is also necessary. The variety is highly resistant to powdery mildew. Requires shelter for the winter. The temperature should not be lower than -23 0 C.
Another beautiful representative of large-leaved hydrangeas of the “magical” variety, similar in its “character” to the previous variety - magical amethyst. The flowers are similar - at first pale green, then coral pink to pink with purple edges, then green with white edges. Flowering is very abundant, in July-October. The flowers are collected in large inflorescences with a diameter of 20 cm, which are excellent for cutting. Bushes are 100-120 cm high, 100 cm wide. The shoots are thick and strong. The leaves are dark green.
The growing place should be semi-shaded. The soil is acidic, fertile, with good drainage. Requires shelter for the winter. The temperature should not be lower than -23 0 C.
Varieties of hydrangea differ in flowering time.
In Russia, large-leaved hydrangea can be grown as a houseplant or used as a container crop, which is kept outdoors only in the summer.
. The natural range of the species is Japan, Korea, Sakhalin. The leaves are small, glossy, dull green in color. Stems are flexible; Thanks to the presence of special aerial roots, they are able to climb walls, trellises, and trees. The flowers are whitish-greenish, collected in corymbs, scattered along the entire length of the vine. In the first years of life it grows slowly.
. A species that grows naturally in eastern North America. The inflorescences are white. Flowering in July-August. In late autumn, it is recommended to cut off faded inflorescences. Pruning of removed, thickened and weakened shoots should be carried out either before sap begins to flow, or after the leaves have completely blossomed. One of the famous varieties is Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ with dark leaves and very large greenish inflorescences. Another famous variety - ‘Grandiflora’.
. View from China. Large shrub up to two and a half meters high. The leaves are large, oval, dark green. Inflorescences are wide corymbs. Blooms from early July. At the beginning of flowering, the flowers are white, by the end of July they turn pink, and in August they acquire a rich crimson color. In the conditions of the European part of Russia, the plant does not require shelter for the winter.
. The natural range of the species is Eastern China, Korea, Japan, Sakhalin. Plants are about one and a half meters high. Green buds appear in mid-July; by the end of the month they turn white. Flowering - from August throughout autumn. Inflorescences - with a smooth transition from white to crimson and crimson with a purple tint. Hydrangea paniculata has high winter hardiness. In autumn it is recommended to prune faded inflorescences, in spring - sanitary and formative pruning. Known varieties - Hydrangea paniculata ‘Kyushu’, ‘Pinky Winky’.
. View from the southern USA. Plants are slightly more than a meter tall. The leaves are similar to oak leaves, dark green above (reddish-bronze in autumn), with whitish pubescence below. The flowers are in paniculate inflorescences, similar to the inflorescences of paniculate hydrangea, but more elongated, with rare sterile flowers, which in the fall, like the leaves, acquire a crimson tint. In the conditions of the European part of Russia, the plant often freezes slightly.
Sargent's hydrangea (Hydrangea sargentiana) , or Hortensia Sargent . View from Western China. In the conditions of the European part of Russia, the plant is actually grown as a perennial herbaceous plant, since its above-ground part freezes out almost every year.
Hydrangea care
Lighting. Hydrangea prefers partial shade; the plant does not tolerate direct sunlight. Suitable for growing on windows with western and eastern exposure. It can grow in a north window, but due to lack of light it stretches and blooms worse. When placing plants near windows with southern exposure, it is necessary to place them at some distance from the window, creating shading from direct sun. In summer, it is better to take the pot with the plant out into the open air and keep it in the shade.
If during the active growing season hydrangea cannot be kept in the sun, then in winter, from mid-January (beginning of bud development), it is recommended to place the plants in the most illuminated, sunny places.
Temperature. Hydrangeas need to be kept at moderate temperatures (18-22°C in spring and summer). The plant overwinters well on a windowsill, under which there is no heating radiator (the temperature at this time can fluctuate between 8-12°C, but not lower than 5°C).
Watering. Watering for hydrangea is necessary from spring to autumn, abundant, as the top layer of the substrate dries, and then gradually it must be reduced. In winter, the plant is watered occasionally - as the soil dries out, but so that the substrate does not dry out. Watering is increased when leaves appear, usually in January-February, and with the development of buds the plant is fed with complex fertilizer.
Features of cultivation. The plant has a pronounced dormant period in winter. In winter, hydrangeas shed their leaves and go into a dormant period of 60-75 days. They should be stored in dry, cool and ventilated basements or on cool window sills.
Trimming. In the spring, it is necessary to prune the plant to trim it and remove those stems that are too weak to develop inflorescences on them. In addition, this promotes good shoot growth, increased flowering and the formation of larger inflorescences. Pruning is done deeply, leaving 2 to 6 eyes on the branch.
Air humidity. Hydrangeas prefer high humidity. To maintain appropriate air humidity throughout the year (both summer and winter), plants must be sprayed. You can place pots of hydrangeas on trays with wet expanded clay or peat. In this case, the bottom of the pot should not touch the water.
Fertilizer. As the buds develop, hydrangea is fed with complex fertilizer. During the growing season, hydrangeas need to be well fed weekly; during the dormant period, do not feed them.
In the book Indoor Floriculture. Authors R. Milevskaya, Y. Vies advise feeding plants with pink flowers - liquid mineral fertilizer for indoor plants, and plants with blue flowers - fertilizer for heathers that love acidic soil. In order to cause lush flowering on old bushes, in the spring it is necessary to apply organic and mineral fertilizers, preferably in liquid form.
Bloom. With good care, hydrangeas bloom from April to October - November. Umbrellas of hydrangea inflorescences can be spherical or corymbose, with large marginal flowers that have overgrown sepals instead of petals. The corolla of the developed flower has 4-5 petals with 8-10 stamens and a 2-4-locular ovary with 2-4 styles. The fruit is a multi-seeded capsule, the seeds are small.
Large hemispherical hydrangea inflorescences most often form at the ends of the shoots of the second year.
The color of hydrangea sepals can be artificially changed: when watered with aluminum alum before flowering (5 g per 1 liter of water), white flowers turn blue, pink flowers turn lilac. If you add iron salts to the soil, the flowers will turn blue. Blue color can be obtained from some red or pink hydrangeas by watering the soil with aluminum sulfate or potassium salts.
Transfer. Hydrangeas are replanted annually. After flowering, you can remove the old inflorescences, cut the shoots to half their length and replant the plants in fresh soil mixture.
When replanting in the spring, low-acidic soil should be taken for white, pink and red varieties, and blue varieties should be planted in highly acidic soil (for example, for).
The soil. The soil for hydrangeas is suitable with high acidity (pH 5.5). For plants with blue flowers, the recommended pH is 3.5-4.5. You can use turf, leaf, peat, soil and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:0.5 or a ready-made soil mixture for azaleas. Humus soil is not used when growing hydrangeas, as it can cause chlorosis.
Reproduction. Hydrangeas are propagated mainly cuttings. For indoor culture, you can use both adult plants and apical cuttings. For cuttings in March, take young lower shoots with leaves 4-6 cm long with 2-3 internodes. They are planted at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other in deep bowls, deepened into the sand by 1.5-2 cm, and covered with glass. After 10-15 days (after rooting), they are planted in pots. In May, you need to cut off the tops so that the plants grow bushy.
Cuttings taken in March, hydrangeas will bloom in May - June of next year. One-year plants form 1-3 inflorescences.
Root shoots and small side shoots must be removed, leaving 3-4 of the strongest root shoots for flowering in future years - only last year's ripened stems form flowers in hydrangeas.
Hydrangea also reproduces seeds, but less often dividing bushes, suckers and layering, grafting.
Precautionary measures
The leaves of large-leaved hydrangea are quite poisonous and cause contact dermatitis.
Possible difficulties
Hydrangeas are susceptible to chlorosis– most often this happens from limewater and humus soil.
With too much light light spots appear on the leaves.
With insufficient watering and dry air tips of leaves dry out.
In case of power shortage plants develop poorly and do not bloom.
Damaged
Useful properties of hydrangea
The name “hydrangea” translated from Greek means “water vessel”, and reflects not only the love of hydrangea for water, but also its beneficial effect on the human body - the normalization of water-salt metabolism.
Tree hydrangea has beneficial properties. The root of hydrangea arborescens has been used in medicine since ancient times for inflammatory diseases of the urinary organs. The root extract has mild diuretic and wound-healing properties, has a cleansing effect on the genitourinary system, helps remove harmful substances from the body, and reduces swelling.
The active substances of hydrangea arborescens promote the removal of uric acid from the body, preventing the deposition of sand and stones in the urinary tract, and have an antimicrobial effect.
Hydrangea relieves spasms in the urinary organs, providing an analgesic effect. The root is also used to relieve premenstrual syndrome. Hydrangea arborescens has proven itself to be an adjuvant for relieving prostate diseases. Tree hydrangea has a tonic effect on the kidneys and improves their function.
Tree hydrangea is used for:
— cholelithiasis;
— chronic pyelonephritis;
- kidney stones;
— chronic cystitis;
- joint diseases;
- chronic inflammation of the female genital area;
- edema and obesity;
- diseases of the prostate gland.
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