Hydrangea (/ha?'dre?nd?i?/;common names hydrangea or hortensia) is a genus of 70-75 kinds of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia (China, Japan, Korea, the Himalayas, and Indonesia) and the Americas. Certainly the greatest types diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Japan, and Korea. Most are shrubs 1 to 3 meters high, but some are small trees and shrubs, while others lianas achieving up to 30 m (98 foot) by climbing up trees and shrubs. They can be either deciduous or evergreen, although generally cultivated temperate varieties are deciduous.Having been introduced to the Azores, H. macrophylla is quite typical now, particularly on Faial, which is known as the "blue island" due to the multitude of hydrangeas present on the island.Life cycleHydrangea flowers are created from early spring to late fall months; they grow in flowerheads (corymbs or panicles) most often at the ends of the stems.
Typically the flowerheads contain two types of blossoms: small non-showy flowers in the guts or interior of the flowerhead, and large, showy bouquets with large brilliant sepals (tepals). These showy flowers are prolonged in a wedding ring often, or to the exterior of the small flowers. Plants in untamed populations typically have few to none of the showy blossoms, while cultivated hydrangeas have been bred and preferred to have significantly more of the larger type flowers.There are two flower arrangements in hydrangeas with Corymb style inflorescens, which includes the commonly grown "bigleaf hydrangea"--Hydrangea macrophylla. Mophead plants are large spherical flowerheads resembling pom-poms or, as the name indicates, the mind of any mop. On the other hand, lacecap flowers bear round, flat flowerheads with a center core of subdued, small flowers bounded by outer rings of greater blossoms having showy tepals or sepals.
The flowers of some viburnums and rhododendrons can appear, at first glance, much like those of some hydrangeas.Colors and ground acidityIn most varieties the blossoms are white, but in some varieties (notably H. macrophylla), can be blue, red, pink, light purple, or dark purple. In these species the color is influenced by the presence of aluminum ions which are available or tied up depending after the ground pH. For H. h and macrophylla. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will supply aluminum ions and produce flowers that are blue to purple typically, whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminum ions and result in pink or red flowers.
This is caused by a color change of the rose pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which is often taken up into hyperaccumulating plant life.[6] Bringing down the pH of potting soils or mixes usually does not change the rose color to blue, because these soils have no aluminum ions. The ability to blue or green a hydrangea is affected by the cultivar also. Some plants are selected for his or her ability to be blued, while some are bred and selected to be red, white or pink. The flower color of most other Hydrangea species is not affected by aluminum and cannot be changed or shifted. Hydrangeas likewise have a nickname called 'Change Rose'.
Hydrangea longipes Flower 27/07/2013, Kew Gardens, London
this lovely lacecap hydrangea hydrangea macrophylla normalis is
More than 9,000 hyrdangea flowers of some 30 different varieties are
Agapanthus, Courgettes and Hydrangea Seemannii mybeautfulthings
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