BIG, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL
The Hydrangea
By Trey Pitsenberger, co-owner Golden Gecko

As spring eases into summer one of the most beautiful and easy to grow shrubs begins is flowering cycle. Often a person’s first exposure to the hydrangea is as a living gift plant from the florist. It is one of the most popular florists plants because of it insanely huge blossoms.  The flowers on these plants can reach the size of a person’s head. It is the bright color and size of flower that is the first attraction for most people. While there are many different species of Hydrangeas the most common, and the one sold by florists is the Big leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). The flowers come in many colors including white, pink, red, or blue. These flowers are called mop heads, as they are generally round in appearance. Another type of Hydrangea macrophylla is the lace-cap hydrangea. These flowers feature a cluster of small fertile flowers surrounded by a ring of big sterile ones. The flower shape is flatter than the mop heads, but still spectacular.

Hydrangeas grow best in Partial shade. They are great in the ground, as single plants or massed in groups or as container plants. The plants will flower for the summer months, providing color during the hottest time of the year. The main requirement for good performance is regular watering. The name Hydrangea comes from the Greek meaning ‘water storing vessel’. Routine garden watering should suffice, and if grown in a container will require daily watering from late spring thru early autumn. When planting in the ground be sure to dig a hole three times a wide as the container and as deep as the container. Incorporate lots of loose, rich organic matter with the native dirt. Mulching is a great idea during the summer months to help conserve moisture.

Sometimes gardeners who buy a pink Hydrangea at the nursery will find the flowers turning blue in our acid foothill soils. This is an interesting aspect of this plant. The flower color is changed depending on the soil Ph. Ph is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of soil. Since most foothill soils are acidic, the flowers on Hydrangeas tend toward the blue. If you want to keep the flowers red or pink, or change blue flowers toward the red you must lime the soil. Lime raises the Ph of soil, which in turn turns Hydrangeas pink or Red. If you would like to turn the flower color from red to blue, you can add aluminum Sulphate, a special fertilizer, to the roots.

Most Hydrangeas grow as symmetrical, rounded plants from 4 to 8 feet tall and wide. They can be kept smaller with pruning. Since they bloom on last year’s wood, do not cut them to the ground, as new growth will emerge from the ground and they will not flower for one year. Better to prune them after flowering, and only remove some of the branches, leaving others to flower the next year.

A newer variety of Hydrangea called ‘Pink Elf’ only grows to 18 inches tall and 2 feet wide. This is an excellent container plant or foreground plant in the shade garden. Another interesting Hydrangea is the Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris). This plant climbs like ivy up to fifty feet high. It has flowers that are flat, white lace cap types about 6 to 10 inches wide. It is one of the few summer flowering, shade loving vines available for our area.

A new variety of hydrangea called “Endless Summer” is the first mop-head hydrangea that blooms all summer. You just cut of the faded flowers above a set of leaves, and new ones will keep coming.

The shade garden would not be complete without the addition of one of the many varieties of hydrangeas available today. They will provide color during the late spring and summer when the Rhododendrons and azaleas have finished blooming. Big, bold, and beautiful is the Hydrangea.