What types of hydrangeas are there?

Main species

Subspecies of Hydrangea are characterized by the ability to bloom abundantly and for a long time. Flowering can last about 5 months, sometimes the first buds bloom in the spring, and the flower goes into hibernation by mid-autumn. Inflorescences are formed in a spherical, thyroid or paniculate shape.

Arborescent Hydrangea

Unpretentious winter-hardy hydrangea, withstands severe frosts. Feels good in partial shade, in well-moistened compost soils. You can choose a sunny place for planting, but then you will have to water it abundantly. The height of the bush is 2-3 m in height, the shoots are thin, covered with a little fluff. The color of the flowers is within white and cream, in diameter they reach 1.5-2 cm. Inflorescences on straight branches are spherical in shape with a diameter of 15-20 cm. Large leaves have a bright green hue and a heart shape. Flowering – from mid-summer to October. In August, the flowers acquire a lemon hue, by the end of the season they turn pink.

Gardeners like to use tree hydrangea in decor, often creating a hedge from it.

In winter: The young plant should be hilled with dry soil, wrapped in leaves, straw. The young seedling needs shelter.

Attention: Problems may arise during cultivation – Hydrangea arborescens can be affected by fungal diseases.

Popular varieties

• Variety “Strong Annabelle”. It begins to bloom in the summer – June, flowering ends at the end of September. When growing, gardeners add dyes to obtain the desired color.
• Variety “Bella Anna”. 120-centimeter bush with thin stems, cuff-pink color.
• Variety “Ingredible”. Wide-spreading bush, height – 1.5 m, inflorescences – white delicate balls with lemon-green flowers, change color to white. Blooms abundantly, continues from June until frost.

Hydrangea Paniculata

Hydrangea Paniculata is a beautiful fluffy bush (bush height – up to 5 m), 10 cm in diameter. Lush panicles up to 25 cm long are formed in the upper part of the shoot. The petals are painted in a delicate range from pink to purple, there are varieties with white. Hydrangea Paniculata loves partial shade, in the sun it loses its decorative effect. It grows well on acidic moist soils. It is resistant to cold, withstands a drop in temperature to -34 ° C. Flowering lasts for two seasons – from June to October.

The seedling of Hydrangea paniculata will not feel comfortable in direct sunlight. To plant the plant, choose a place where the tree will be in partial shade at midday.

When growing panicle hydrangeas, there are no problems with damage and diseases.

In winter: In a harsh winter, the ends of the shoots may suffer. Large bushes are usually tied with twine, collecting the shoots in a bunch. The trunk area should be mulched with a generous layer of compost.

Popular varieties

• Variety “Pink Diamond”. A 2-meter bush with a rounded, spreading crown. Panicles are white, dense, turn red when flowering.
• “Matilda”. The bush is up to 2 m high, the crown is round, the buds open creamy white, become white over time, and turn pink towards the end of flowering.
• Variety “Vanilla Fraise”. An amazing large bush with juicy, fluffy inflorescences of white and pink shades. Loves both sun and partial shade.

Hydrangea Macrophylla

This luxurious, enchanting deciduous shrub reaches 4 meters in height. Hydrangea macrophylla is a real queen among garden crops. The leaves are ovoid, with pointed ends, soft green. Large flowers, collected in thyroid inflorescences. Loves a lot of light.

The planting hole is filled with peat, compost and needles (spruce or pine). Peat is especially important for these beauties.

Depending on the type of soil, the plant changes its color. In an alkaline environment, it produces lilac or pink flowers. On soil with neutral acidity – white or beige inflorescences. Acidic soil changes the color of the buds to blue or light blue. You can adjust the palette yourself. To get pink flowers, slaked lime with water is added to the soil (1 tbsp. per 3.5 liters of water).

In winter: In Russia, it is grown in the southern expanses. In the middle zone, only winter-hardy varieties will survive. If the temperature drops below zero, the plant may die, it needs shelter.

Prepare in advance – limit watering and feed with autumn complex fertilizers. Then, starting from September 20, they begin to bend the plant in stages. First, cut off the tops, then tie the shoots into bundles, gradually bending them to the ground. At the first frost, cover with thin light material.

Popular varieties

• “Endless Summer”. During one summer, buds appear 2-3 times, has the ability to change shades. Unpretentious and hardy.
• “Bloom Star”. Remontant variety, inflorescences bloom both on last year’s and new shoots. Flowers are blue or pink, depending on the acidity of the soil.
• Variety “Sibylla”. One of the beautiful varieties with pink or purple flowers. The glossy shine of large inflorescences makes it look like porcelain figurines.
• “Tugese”. A small bush up to 90 cm high, the crown is spherical, the inflorescences are collected in shields. The dense light green double scattering of flowers at the beginning of flowering turns into pink and lilac shades. At the end of the season they turn red or purple.

Note: There are special fertilizers for hydrangeas on sale, which are poured into the soil in dry form

Hydrangea Petiolate

This unpretentious guest from Taiwan and China has long been underestimated in the Russian Federation. Today it is in demand among summer residents and gardeners with little experience. The gorgeous liana grows up to 15 m. It rises on supports thanks to intertwined shoots and aerial roots.

The leaves are heart-shaped, the color is dark green, shiny. In the center of the fragrant inflorescence up to 25 cm in diameter there is a scattering of small white flowers, along the edges they are large. The reddish-brown peeling bark has an attractive appearance in winter.

Flowering period: late spring – early summer.

In the photo: Hydrangea Petiolate

Hydrangea Serrata

It is called the “beautiful cousin of the Large-leaved”. Unlike the large-leaved, this bush is more compact, and the flowers and leaves in the center are smaller.

The bush grows up to 1.5-2 m. The leaves are dark green, heart-shaped, with a serrated edge. The flowers are collected in dome-shaped inflorescences with a diameter of 5-10 cm. In the center they are small, graceful, at the edges large, four-petaled.

The color of the petals can be pink, pale blue or bright blue, if the soil is acidic.

At first glance, Serrated resembles a diadem. And, indeed, among the varieties of this exquisite culture there are “Tiara” and “Diadema”.

Popular varieties:

• “Bluebird”. A bush up to 1.5 m high, a rounded crown, inflorescences are of an umbrella type. It is distinguished by a long flowering of pale blue and blue flowers.
• “Diadema”. A bush up to 4 m high, the leaves have an elongated shape. The stem is powerful. Flowers of light pink or blue shades form paniculate inflorescences.
• “Tiara”. A small bush, grows up to 1 m. Buds bloom on last year’s shoots. Flowering from June to August. Very beautiful and delicate, pale blue flowers on acidic soils or pink on alkaline soils. Faded ones have a ruby-red hue.

Oakleaf Hydrangea

The height of the bush reaches 2 m. The upper surface of the leaves is dark green or yellow-green, and below they are silvery, double, as if covered with fluffy felt.

Divided into 5-7 fragments, they resemble oak leaves. In autumn, the foliage turns red and purple, against which the pink flower heads stand out especially effectively.

The bush loves shade and partial shade.

In the photo: Hydrangea Oakleaf

Popular varieties

• “Amethyst”. The height of the bush is from 1.5 to 2 m. Large cones of inflorescences have white-cream shades, becoming wine-red by autumn. They bloom from June to September.
• “Burgundy”. An attractive shrub with lush foliage, the leaves are longer and slightly stiffer than those of oak. Can reach 2 meters. Flowering lasts from June to July.
• “Snowflake”. Compact bush up to 40 cm in height. Very large conical inflorescences 30 cm long, pink and white shades, double flowers, superimposed on each other. Look graceful against the background of the green crown of the bush.
• “Snow Queen”. This is a real Snow Queen, strewn with creamy inflorescences up to 20 cm long. Height reaches 2 meters. The leaves are a rich green color, and in autumn they acquire all sorts of bright shades of orange and red tones.

Ampelous hybrid

The hybrid variety Ampelous hydrangea has other names – “Snow White” and “Runaway Bride”. This variety caused a furor among landscape designers, flower growers, and was awarded many awards.

And for good reason. The ampelous hybrid is an elegant bush, abundantly strewn with white buds. The inflorescences are quite large: up to 15 cm in diameter and 8 cm in height. Flowers appear light green, opening up to white.

The height of the bush is no more than 60 cm, the side shoots are beautifully curved.

Snow White has a number of advantages, including resistance to frost, pests and diseases.

You can also grow an ampelous hybrid in open ground and pyramids. The crop does not tolerate heavy clay soil; when planting in the ground, add peat and sand.

Care

In general, Snow White only needs regular watering, loosening, pruning and winter shelter. Insufficiently fertile soil is enriched with a top dressing of a mixture of microelements.

Attention! Do not compact the mulch too tightly – leave free access of air to the roots.

The optimal period for pruning is spring, before the sap begins to flow.

Winter hardiness

Runaway Bride is considered frost-resistant, it can withstand up to -18 … 20. But it is still better to cover it for the winter.

Cover the bush with coniferous branches and non-woven material.

Ground cover

Hydrangea Ground Cover Bretschneider is often called the “Purple Queen” due to the change in shades to purple tones.

A decorative perennial shrub reaching 4 m in height, sometimes there are liana species.

Gardeners fell in love with the plant immediately – for its lightness, unpretentiousness, durability.

Flowering period – from July to August.

By color

Among the hydrangeas there are real treasures that have earned the status of diamonds in the flower world.

Check out a selection of plants that are worth planting with hydrangea.

White

Hydrangea “White Lady” was once called the best among paniculate by the British. Large snow-white fringed sterile flowers alternate with fertile small beads. The variety has a pleasant aroma. The height of the hydrangea bush is up to 1.5 m. During the flowering period, the color remains consistently white. Therefore, this bush is so suitable for creating white flower beds.

In the photo “White Lady”

Hydrangea “Magical Starlight” is distinguished by sterile flowers of an unusual star shape and fertility. Abundant flowering and unchanging white color of this variety make the garden plot look like a snow-white fairy tale. Height – up to 1.8 m.

In the photo “Magical Starlight”

“Ice Crystal” is an elegant aristocrat with snow-white sterile flowers that turn pink in autumn.

Pale pink

Hydrangea “Candybelle Lollipop” is one of the most beautiful hydrangeas, from July to September it pleases with lush caps of inflorescences of delicate pink and lilac shades. Height – up to 90 cm. Inflorescences are similar to lilac, only rounded.

The photo shows the charming “Candybelle Lollipop”

Blue

It is now fashionable to have a blue hydrangea with azure balls of inflorescences and an intoxicating aroma on your garden plot. The “Niko Blue” variety will decorate any space. Height – up to 1.5 m. As it blooms, the white color turns blue. To maintain a heavenly hue, it is enough to control the acidity of the soil. The plant loves abundant watering, it is good in a sunny place.

In the photo “Niko Blue”

Blue

“Early Blue” is a variety famous for its powerful root system. It can feel ideal in tubs and vases. When the acidity of the soil decreases, the color changes to light green or cream.

“Blue Wave” does not survive the Russian winter, it needs to be covered like roses. A gorgeous inflorescence blooms on last year’s shoots. Flowering begins in mid-summer and continues until the end of summer. Prefers coffee grounds and sawdust as fertilizer.

By size

When planting and growing, it is important to consider the size of the planting material.

Large

“Lime Light” belongs to paniculate shrubs, has lush snow-white panicles, reaches 2 m.

“Grandiflora” is not even a powerful shrub, but almost a tree. It can grow up to 3 m. Inflorescences are formed wide, pyramidal, up to 30 cm long.

“Wims Red” reaches up to 1.6 m and is the most fragrant of all hydrangeas. The inflorescences are a delicate, airy mix of sterile and fertile flowers. By autumn, the crown acquires a stunning bright pink or crimson color.

Medium length

“Diamont Rouge” grows up to 2 meters. The flowers of this bush are collected in a pyramid. Flowering is long and lush. The color of the inflorescences changes depending on the soil.

“Sunday Fraise” with thin stems reaches up to 1.2 m. Panicles are soft pink or white-pink, acquire strawberry-raspberry shades. Shoots are strong.

“Mojito” with strong stems, strewn with beautiful heart-shaped leaves, rises up to 1.1 meters. From the name it is already clear that there is an association with lime. At first the buds are lime-colored, then they acquire a pale green color, and in the end the flowers become pink.

“Bobo” is a dwarf, the smallest variety of paniculate, growing up to 100 cm. The bush is upright and dense, densely covered with lush white panicles. Inflorescences are formed from large sterile flowers.

The photo shows a profusely blooming Bobo

Little Ones

Few people know that this decorative flower also has miniature representatives that can be grown as indoor plants. Home hydrangea is more miniature than garden hydrangea, but its color is brighter. Decorative bushes in pots are a celebration of color and mood, pink, white, green, lilac – fluffy balls are designed to bloom and fill the house with bright joy.

Varieties of home decorative hydrangea

• Panflora. New for the 2021 season from German breeders. A bush with large inflorescences of lime and white shades up to 20 cm. However, they are not dense, but loose, lacy. It has a very spectacular appearance and smells of vanilla. It blooms early, in early June, pleases with flowering until autumn.
• Pandalus. It has gorgeous lush cones of inflorescences. At first they are soft green, by autumn they turn pink. Grows up to 1 meter.
• Panenka. A new variety from German selection. Height – up to 70 cm. Inflorescences are magnificent panicles of jade-green shades. In the middle of the cycle they are white, by the end they become lime with drops of pink.

Advice for growing at home: once a week add a few drops of lemon juice to the water, this will protect the green part from the base from yellowing

Winter-hardy varieties

The victory of breeders was the development of hydrangeas with high frost resistance.

“Early Sensation” is a hydrangea with frost resistance in zone 4-9. They begin to bloom in June, on the shoots of the current year, flowering is long, until the first frost. The inflorescence caps are pink if the environment is alkaline, and blue if the soil is acidic.

“Red Sensation” is a remontant hydrangea. Frost resistance in zone 5a-9. Withstands temperatures down to -30°C. The flowers are pink-red in summer, becoming burgundy by autumn. Inflorescences are formed on shoots of the previous and current years.

“Paris” is a miniature decorative hydrangea with a dense crown. Red flowers remain throughout the flowering season. Frost resistance in zone 5-9.