The Encyclopedia of House Plants

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Hydrangea

Family: Hydrangeaceae.

Common name(s): Hortensia, Lacecap
Hydrangea Genus of about 80 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs, trees and climbers from woodland in E. Asia and North and South America. Hydrangea has large, showy flowerheads, and attractive foliage. The flat, domed, or conical, terminal flowerheads consisat of corymbs or panicles of both tiny fertile flowers and larger sterile flowers with showy, petal-like sepals. Flower color is affected by the relative availability of aluminium ions in the soil. Acidic soils with a pH of less than 5.5 produce blue flowers; Soils with pH greater than 5.5 produce pink flowers. White flowers are not affected by pH. Hydrangea
Growing conditions Watering and misting Propagation
Grow in moist, well drained, humus-rich soil in sun or partial shade. Provide cold place in winter. Water freely in summer, reduce watering in winter. Root semi-ripe cuttings of non-flowering shoots of evergreens with bottom heat in summer. Root softwood cuttings of deciduous hydrangeas in early summer, or hardwood cuttings in winter. Sow seed in containers in spring.

User-submitted additions and corrections:

baby
India
18th Aug 2004 		I have an hydreangea for the last 6 years.It never blooms.
Sergey
US
19th Aug 2004 		Hydrangea needs _cold_ period to bloom, i.e 10-13C in winter. Does yor climate satisfy this condition? Hydrangea forms the buds in cold rest period only.
rreavis
north carolina
9th Aug 2005 		During the winter months place the plant in a refrigerator or freezer at the correct temperature or as close possible. Check plants throughout winter for temprature. Remove plant when weather permits. You should get blooms .
Harry
Canada
23rd Sep 2005 		A Hydrangea requires six weeks of night temperatures of below 65 deg to form a bud. When this process is complete then it requires six weeks of cooling anywhere from 33 deg to 45 deg. Anytime after this you can force your hydrangea which would flower in appr 80 - 85 days with an average temp of 65 deg
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