Types And Varieties Of Hydrangeas, Tree Hydrangea

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Growing hydrangeas in the North-West of Russia, part 1

Large-leaved hydrangea -

an old variety Large-flowered

Since ancient times, hydrangea has been a favorite garden, hothouse and indoor plant. Hydrangeas are amazingly beautiful.

Unpretentious species with white flowers bloom so profusely that there is almost no greenery behind the flowers, and their white lace outfit is suitable for any area, for any flower garden.

Now Europe is experiencing a new wave of passion for hydrangeas. Many new varieties have been created by breeders, planting material has begun to enter our market. Hydrangea is also becoming very popular in Russia.

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Types and varieties of hydrangeas

The more thermophilic large-leaved hydrangeas, which are often called "garden hydrangeas", are very good. They have very large inflorescences, their color range is very rich: pink, blue-blue, crimson-purple with all sorts of transitions.

I would like to note the positive qualities of hydrangeas, which make it possible to recommend their wider distribution in the Leningrad region.

1. Hydrangeas (lat. Hydrángea) are not very demanding on soil fertility, they prefer acidic peat soils with an average content of nutrients, i.e. exactly such as there are a lot in the Leningrad region. Most species can be grown in high groundwater conditions.

2. Caring for hydrangeas is easy and accessible even to the youngest growers.

3. Many types of hydrangeas are winter-hardy, and they can be grown without a winter shelter, while less winter-hardy species winter well under simple shelters. All plants recover easily after freezing in severe winters.

4. Hydrangeas are practically not affected by diseases and pests.

5. The variety of species, the ability to form plants with different shapes and sizes of the crown allows you to grow hydrangeas in gardens of different types and different flower beds, in hedges, in mixborders, as tapeworms, etc.

6. Hydrangeas bloom for a very long time, retain their decorative effect throughout the summer, even in cold rainy weather; they are good in cut and dry bouquet.

In our garden, in the northern suburb of St. Petersburg, various hydrangeas have been growing for over 40 years. The basis of our collection was originally formed by the species and garden forms of treelike, paniculate and large-leaved hydrangeas, as well as their old varieties, the names of which are not known for certain. Now they have been supplemented by numerous new varieties.

Before considering the features of growing hydrangeas in our climate, let us dwell on the types of hydrangeas suitable for growing in gardens in the North-West of Russia.

Hydrangeas are ornamental shrubs, trees and lianas of the genus hydrangea (hydrangea) are currently separated into a separate family Hydrangea. In nature, there are a large number of species of this plant, growing mainly in China, Japan, Sakhalin and the Kuriles. There are also American types. Most species are deciduous, their leaves are opposite, simple, rather large, oval in shape, usually with a pointed apex, often have jagged edges, noticeable venation. Evergreen hydrangea species only grow in warm climates.

Only a small part of them is cultivated in Russia. The following species are of practical interest: panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata), tree hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), large-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), serrata hydrangea (Hydrangea cerata), petiolate hydrangea (Hydrangea Peteolaris) and a number of less common species - hydrangea bretschneideri), ash hydrangea (Hydrangea ceneria).

The structure of hydrangea flowers and inflorescences is interesting. Flowers are of two types: small bisexual, often called fertile or fertile, and sterile, sterile with 4-5 large petal sepals. Sometimes each fertile flower is surrounded by large, colored sepals. The color of the flowers depends on the type of hydrangea. Most species are white or creamy, greenish at the beginning of flowering and at the very end. In many species, the inflorescences turn pink at the end of flowering, especially in the sun. Multi-colored inflorescences of large-leaved hydrangea. All hydrangeas have corymbose inflorescences.

They can be flat, hemispherical, spherical, or pyramidal. Sometimes sterile and fertile flowers are located chaotically in the inflorescence, but usually fertile ones are collected in the center of the inflorescence, and sterile ones are surrounded by them, such inflorescences are called kal-shaped (in the English-language literature, lace cap is a lace cap). Many species have completely sterile hemispherical or globular inflorescences (Mophead). There are varieties completely with fertile (bisexual) flowers, such inflorescences are very graceful, fluffy. Understanding the structure of inflorescences is important in order to determine the types and varieties of hydrangeas.

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Tree hydrangea

Sterilis tree hydrangea

The tree hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) is widely distributed in our gardens under the name "white bush hydrangea" or "white globular". In English language literature, tree hydrangeas are often called Smooth or Hills of snow (snowy hills).

This shrub is 1-3 meters high and comes from North America. The leaves are opposite, rather large, green above and bluish below. Flat or spherical inflorescences with a diameter of 10-20 cm are formed on the tops of annual shoots. The flowers are greenish at first, and in full dissolution are white or cream. Treelike hydrangea species have a large number of fertile flowers and only a small number of sterile ones. In the gardens there is a natural variety Radiata with viburnum-shaped inflorescences. There are varieties of tree hydrangea with completely sterile inflorescences and with a predominance of fertile flowers, which make the inflorescence fluffy, airy.

Treelike hydrangea is unpretentious, shade-tolerant, winter-hardy enough. Although its annual shoots do not fully ripen by autumn and often freeze over in winter, after spring pruning, the bush quickly recovers and can bloom in the same year. In our conditions, tree hydrangea blooms earlier than other species, back in July, and blooms until late autumn.

Until recently, garden forms of tree hydrangea found in nature, and then selected and multiplied, were mainly common in culture. We have such a form is Sterilis (Sterilis) with large hemispherical inflorescences, consisting of small (1 cm) sterile flowers. In America and Europe, this form (variety) is Annabelle. The large-flowered forms Annabelle and Grandiflora (not to be confused with the most common panicle hydrangea) were found naturally in America at the beginning of the 20th century, they were exported to Europe and found widespread use in horticulture, especially the Annabelle variety.

New varieties of tree hydrangea -

terry Hayes Starburst and pink Bella Anna

The differences between the varieties of tree hydrangea Anabel and Grandiflora are very small, the descriptions of these varieties available in the literature are almost identical. The most stable traits by which varieties can be identified (this also applies to other types of hydrangeas) are the ratio of fertile and sterile flowers, the size and shape of sterile flowers.

In the Anabel variety, the flower petals are large - about 2 cm, more rounded, the inflorescence is more symmetrical and spherical than in Grandiflora, in which the inflorescence is flatter, asymmetrical, the flowers are large, in shape they are closer to the Sterilis variety. In general, when comparing varieties, it must be borne in mind that the size of the inflorescences and the entire bush is highly dependent on the growth conditions (moisture, soil fertility, etc.) and on pruning. The color of the inflorescences also varies greatly during the summer.

Interesting varieties of tree hydrangea with a predominance of fertile flowers in the inflorescence, for example, the White Dome variety with strong non-sticking shoots.

Recently, many new varieties of tree hydrangea have appeared. Selection goes in several directions. A terry variety Hayes Starburst has already been developed. Interesting novelties are the pink varieties Invincible Spirit and Bella Anna, which do not differ too much from each other. The hardness of the shoots is considered a valuable property of these plants, which does not allow the bush to lie down under the weight of large and, especially, wet inflorescences.

The Incrediball variety has not only very large (up to 30 cm), dense globular inflorescences, but also strong vertical shoots. Most varieties are based on Annabelle, and even Invincible Spirit is often referred to as Pink Annabelle. All varieties of tree hydrangea can grow in our conditions, but, of course, they need to be monitored and evaluated for their prospects and care features.

It is very close to the treelike hydrangea ashen or gray (Hydrangea ceneria), and it is even more winter-hardy and shade-tolerant, but it is not widespread in our gardens.

Tatyana Popova, gardener

+7 (904) 631-55-57, +7 (812) 272-87-66

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