Hydrangea Shrubs
Hydrangea shrubs produce large amounts of flowers for most of the growing season. Hydrangeas bloom in several different colors. The colors are primarily pastels, including blues, pinks and white. Although the flowers are typically the plant's main attraction, the foliage often provides striking background for the flowers. Once established, hydrangea provide many years of flowers for the gardener. Does this Spark an idea?
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Types
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The four most popular species of hydrangea, according to the United States National Arboretum, are bigleaf ("Hydrangea macrophylla"), panicle ("H. paniculata"), oakleaf (H. quercifolia), and smooth (H. arborescens). Mopheads and lacecaps are popular cultivars within the bigleaf species. Panicles are the most cold-hardy hydrangeas. The oakleaf and smooth are both native to the United States, unlike most hydrangeas. Oakleaf is also unusual in that its leaves turn a deep mahogany-red in the fall.
Soil
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Soil chemistry determines the bloom color for many cultivars. In particular, flowers in the mophead and lacecaps cultivars bloom in shades of pink when you grow them in alkaline soil. The same plant will produce blooms in shades of blue when you grow it in acidic soil. Hydrangeas need aluminum to produce blue flowers. They will likely produce blue blooms when the pH level of the soil is between 5.2 and 5.5. A pH level between 6.0 and 7.0 will likely deprive the blooms of enough aluminum to produce pink blooms.
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Care
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Hydrangeas prefer moist, well-drained soil. Deep shade locations limit the plant's ability to produce flowers. Some species, such as panicle, prefer full sun. The majority of hydrangeas perform best in a partial shade/partial sun location. Hydrangeas flower on branches from the current year or on the previous year's growth. Identifying the type of plant you have will determine the best pruning strategy. Smooth and panicle varieties flower on new growth, so prune those types heavily before the spring growing season begins.
Diseases
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Hydrangeas are susceptible to powdery mildew, Cercospora leaf spot and anthracnose. Identify powdery mildew by looking for small white patches scattered across the leaves. Cercospora is more unsightly than it is damaging to the health of the plant. However, once a plant is infected, it is likely to experience annual outbreaks. Anthracnose is a fungus that produces brown spots on the leaves. It is rare in most residential settings.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit hydrangeas image by Ruslana Stovner from Fotolia.com
