Hydrangea Know - How

ENCHANTING IN ANY GARDEN, THESE OLD-FASHIONED FLOWERING SHRUBS TEND TO LIVE LONG AND PROSPER IN THE SOUTH.

WRITTEN BY LESLIE

CRISS

When many of us imagine hydrangeas, what comes to mind are the most common type with large, cloud-like tufts of pastel pink, blue and lavender blossoms. With their old-fashioned feel, hydrangeas often grew tall, thick and prolifically around the houses of our grandparents. In addition to being just plain pretty, hydrangeas took on a magical quality when we were told if we stuck a nail in the ground near the plant’s roots and waited patiently, eventually the flowers would change colors.

Turns out there’s much more to them than those most common — and very popular — mophead hydrangeas. And the color change has everything to do with science and the pH of the soil, and not much to do with magic.

Betsy Moore has been a Tupelo Master Gardener for nearly 15 years, and her knowledge of hydrangeas is often shared with the botanically challenged. The truth is this: There is a whole lot of information out there regarding hydrangeas.

The word hydrangea comes from two Greek words, hydro (water) and angeion (vessel), perhaps for the plant’s thirsty habits or because the plant’s seed capsules are shaped like Grecian water jars. Most hydrangeas are native to China, Japan and Korea, though some species originated in the United States.

“They’ve been a familiar part of the Southern landscape since they were imported from Japan in the 1750s,” Moore said.

There are more than 70 species of hydrangeas, and like many flowers and plants, there’s a name for each type, like Ayesha, Blushing Bride, Dooley, Nikko Blue, Penny Mac, Lady in Red, just to name a few. The the publication “Hydrangeas for Mississippi Gardens” by the Mississippi State University Extension, lists the most commercially available.

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