Hydrangea (/ha?'dre?nd?i?/;common names hydrangea or hortensia) is a genus of 70-75 types of flowering crops local to southern and eastern Asia (China, Japan, Korea, the Himalayas, and Indonesia) and the Americas. Certainly the greatest varieties diversity is within eastern Asia, china notably, Japan, and Korea. Most are shrubs 1 to 3 meters high, but some are small trees, yet others lianas reaching up to 30 m (98 foot) by climbing up trees. They could be either evergreen or deciduous, though the generally cultivated temperate kinds are deciduous.Having been introduced to the Azores, H. macrophylla is currently very common, on Faial particularly, which is recognized as the "blue island" due to the vast number of hydrangeas present on the island.Life cycleHydrangea plants are produced from planting season to late fall months; they develop in flowerheads (corymbs or panicles) frequently at the ends of the stems.
Usually the flowerheads contain two types of flowers: small non-showy bouquets in the center or interior of the flowerhead, and large, showy flowers with large multi-colored sepals (tepals). These showy blossoms tend to be lengthened in a wedding ring, or to the exterior of the small flowers. Plant life in crazy populations have few to none of the showy blooms typically, while cultivated hydrangeas have been selected and bred to have significantly more of the bigger type blossoms.There are two flower arrangements in hydrangeas with Corymb style inflorescens, which includes the commonly grown "bigleaf hydrangea"--Hydrangea macrophylla. Mophead flowers are large rounded flowerheads resembling pom-poms or, as the name suggests, the head of a mop. On the other hand, lacecap flowers bear round, flat flowerheads with a center core of subdued, small blooms bounded by outer jewelry of bigger flowers having showy tepals or sepals.
The flowers of some rhododendrons and viburnums can show up, at first glance, just like those of some hydrangeas.Colors and earth acidityIn most species the blooms are white, but in some types (notably H. macrophylla), can be blue, red, green, light purple, or dark crimson. In these types the color is influenced by the presence of light weight aluminum ions which are available or tangled up depending upon the garden soil pH. For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be dependant on the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminum ions and produce flowers that are blue to purple typically, whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminum ions and bring about pink or red flowers.
This is caused by a color change of the bloom pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which is often taken up into hyperaccumulating plant life.[6] Cutting down the pH of potting soils or mixes usually will not change the blossom color to blue, because these soils have no aluminum ions. The capability to blue or pink a hydrangea is also influenced by the cultivar. Some plants are selected for his or her ability to be blued, while some are bred and selected to be red, pink or white. The flower color of all other Hydrangea species is not affected by aluminum and cannot be changed or shifted. Hydrangeas also have a nickname called 'Change Rose'.
106 Taylors Way, Honey Brook, PA 19344 MLS 6677735 Coldwell Banker
Click here for larger view
Subscribe by Email
Follow Updates Articles from This Blog via Email
No Comments