The diversity of hydrangeas
There are 9 different families of hydrangeas (Hydrangea). It is important to know that the advice that is valid for one family is often not adapted to another. It is therefore important to know the hydrangea that you buy or that you grow to avoid mistreating it.
There are hydrangeas for the sun, others for the shade, some which will have to be pruned and others for which you will not obtain flowers if you cut them...
La Thylle Nursery has between 300 and 400 varieties.
Discovering hydrangea varieties
The observation of the foliage allows to recognize the family: the members of the same family have the same leaves.
Examples
Hydrangea arborescens are characterized by rather dull foliage and fairly round leaves. They are generally installed in the sun.
The hydrangea that everyone knows, Hydrangea macrophylla, which has a large varnished leaf, must be installed in a confined atmosphere, protected from spring frosts.
The Hydrangea paniculata family, with an elliptical leaf, is also a hydrangea for the sun.
Hydrangea serrata are native to the mountains of Japan. Many members of this family have the particularity to have, in the absence of a long bloom, a foliage which takes sumptuous colors of autumn. This is the case of the variety 'Santiago', with its completely red foliage at the end of the season.
Pruning hydrangeas
It is important to know that the flower of H. macrophylla is already present "in" the plant, in winter (in fact, it forms at the end of August / September). So, if you prune it, you lose flowers. If your hydrangea "bush" is too big, for example positioned in front of a window, it is better to move it than to prune it.
On the other hand, H. Paniculata blooms on the year's wood. Also, to obtain large flowers, we cut back between mid-November and mid-March the two thirds of the stems which carried the flowers the year before.
This is also the case for Hydrangea arborescens.
How to feed hydrangeas?
Most hydrangeas have a superficial root system. They are therefore fed with compost in the spring and fall. There is no need to add any other fertilizer.
Can hydrangeas be grown in pots?
It depends on the hydrangea family. H. macrophylla can be grown in a pot but the roots, more exposed to the cold, will suffer in case of temperatures below -10°C. H. paniculata is more resistant to frost.
Bonus
Thanks to its great diversity, the hydrangea can color your garden with its flowers and foliage all summer long, and most of the fall.
