Hydrangeas: types and varieties for Russian gardens. Hydrangea: types and preferred varieties for the Russian garden Hydrangea sargent planting and care

A heat-loving shrub with huge caps of inflorescences came to Europe from Japan in the 18th century. Long time the hydrangea remained a home plant, but both amateur gardeners and professional breeders of the Old World worked hard to bring this fragrant shrub into their gardens. By the end of the 19th century, the work was crowned with success, and fans of the plant received frost-resistant varieties that feel great in temperate climates.

Species and varieties

The hydrangea family has about 100 species. However, not all of them are suitable for landing on suburban area and in the garden of our climate zone. We found out which types and varieties of hydrangeas for the garden take root well and grow successfully in our latitudes. Let's dwell on the most popular plants among gardeners. These include: panicle hydrangea (White Moth, Floribunda, Unique varieties), tree hydrangea (Anabel and Snowball), serrate hydrangea (Bluebird variety (blue bird)), Sargent hydrangea, petiole hydrangea, oak-leaved hydrangea (Snow Queen and Snow Flake varieties), and the most common garden hydrangea, or large-leaved (Quadricolor, Lilacina, Nigra, Grandiflora, Perfecta, Altona). A little more about each.

Paniculata- white-cream flowers, collected in pyramidal inflorescences, in the process of flowering take on a pink hue, which acquires a density of shades by autumn. It grows very quickly, so it requires constant pruning. Gives long flowering in autumn.

treelike- visually resembles viburnum, inflorescences are white-cream, spherical. It grows up to 2.5 m, the leaves are pointed, the flowers fit tightly to each other. Flowering continues from July to September.

Serrated- this species loves the sun, relatively low (up to 1.2 m), the Bluebird variety is especially beautiful, with delicate blue flowers forming a flat sphere. Long flowering period (June to September).

Sargent- leaves with a velvety surface, inflorescences are very large (up to 30 cm in diameter), with exquisite color transitions, from deep purple inside and pale pink borders along the edges. Can grow up to 4 meters. Flowering begins at the end of summer.

Chereshkovaya- refers to curly species, leaves are dark green, stems are red-brown, prefers partial shade, blooms for several weeks in early summer.

Oakleaf- the leaves are shaped like oak, grows up to 2 meters, the inflorescences are cone-shaped. By autumn, the rough foliage takes on purple and burgundy hues. The flowers are white, in the variety Snow Flake terry.

Garden, large-leaved- bright green leaves of an oval shape, slightly pointed, with spherical inflorescences, grows up to 2 m. The flowers, depending on the variety, are painted in blue, white and pink shades. Heat-loving, it is necessary to cover for the winter.

Idea!Another species - ashy hydrangea - is often used as a hedge. It has small flowers and dull green leaves.

Features of care

Only with the right and serious approach to the requirements of the plant itself can a positive result be predicted.

AT proper care hydrangea includes:

disembarkation

When choosing seedlings, carefully inspect root system. The usual practice is to plant the plant in late spring.

Advice!If the root system of the bush is highly developed, then planting hydrangeas can take place in September. In two or three warm weeks of autumn, he will have time to gain a foothold in the soil and survive the winter well.

Soil preparation for planting consists of adding peat with sand and earth with needles. Dig a hole 50x50 cm, drain. Fill it with soil, if necessary (if the soil is alkaline), add an acidifying fertilizer.

When planting hydrangeas in the spring, the rhizomes should be slightly shortened and cut off annual shoots, leaving only 3-4 pairs of buds. After planting a bush in the soil, water it, wait until the water is absorbed, and mulch with peat or sawdust with a layer of 6-8 cm.

To create a hedge, seedlings are placed at a distance of 0.7-1 m from each other. If you want to get one, but thick and lush bush, take 4-5-year-old seedlings for planting, digging a hole a little less deep (35-40 cm) and 50-70 cm wide.

pruning

Pruning bushes is compulsory procedure no matter what kind of hydrangea plant. With uncontrolled growth, the branches of the bush grow so that they lose their aesthetic appearance. Please note that the first healthy flowering begins in the 3rd year after planting, cut off everything that appears earlier. This will allow the bush to develop properly.

For already established plants, a spring rejuvenating haircut is carried out, aimed at forming a bush. The procedure is carried out before the start of sap flow in the plant. If you notice that the hydrangea inflorescences are weakening and decreasing in size, cut the bush “on a stump” (when cutting, only the stems are left 15-20 cm from the ground). The plant tolerates such a cardinal manipulation well and grows rapidly, returning the splendor to the flowers.

Thinning pruning is also necessary for hydrangea hedges. Do it at your own discretion, but not before the bushes gain strength.

Advice!Do not peel the inflorescences by hand, cut them carefully with secateurs so as not to affect upper part branches with buds.

Watering

The heat-loving flower hydrangea loves moisture. It is important that the soil under the bush is always in light condition moisture content. To do this, it is necessary to mulch the soil under the plant twice a year with the help of needles, leaf humus, shavings or bark.

Hydrangea bushes are watered 2 times a week in dry weather, and 1 time if it rained during the week. Under each bush you need to pour 30-50 liters. The water must be soft.

In autumn, on dry days, the plant is useful abundant watering, it will help hydrangeas to calmly survive frosts.

Advice!With peat-mulched soil, abundant watering of the plant should be carried out less frequently, about 1 time per month.

make-up

Successful cultivation of hydrangeas is impossible without competent feeding. After planting, at the beginning of the growth of the seedling, add superphosphate (30-40 g) under the bush, urea at the rate of 20-25 g per one square meter, sulfuric potassium (30-35 g).

During the formation of buds, the plant needs additional portions of fertilizers: superphosphate (60-80 g) and potassium sulfur (40-45 g).

At the end of August, prepare the hydrangea for wintering by placing 15-20 kg of manure (rotted) or compost under each bush. Treat the branches well with Bordeaux mixture. Closer to mid-October, it is necessary to spud the bushes to a height of about 30 cm, and in November, the hydrangea branches must be bent to the ground and covered with spruce branches.

Hydrangea is the most popular among gardeners. rough varieties Macrophylla (Macrophylla). It is a shrub with thick branches, which is distinguished by a combination of white and lilac inflorescences. In the center of the latter are small lilac-purple flowers, which are surrounded by large white flowers. Large flat inflorescences reach up to 20 cm in circumference.

The leaves also have decorative value. They are quite large - about 35 cm long, 25 cm wide. In early summer they are velvety, dark green in color, turning brown-orange by the end of the season. The height of this type of hydrangea ranges from 1.5 m to 2.5 m, the ornamental shrub grows up to 1.2 m wide. The plant has an increased winter hardiness, which is extremely important for regions with a cold climate.

Show all

Landing Rules

Before proceeding with planting, it is necessary to determine the optimal location of the hydrangea. She loves warmth, cannot stand the hot sun and is afraid strong winds and cold.

Hydrangea prefers fertile, neutral or slightly acidic soil. Most best age for planting a seedling - 2-3 years. The procedure is carried out in the spring or autumn.

Landing algorithm:

1 To the bottom of the well, to prevent stagnation excess moisture and decay of the root system, stack drainage layer about 15 cm thick: crushed stone, pieces of chipped brick. The size of the hole depends on the type of soil (on light soil - 40 cm wide and 50 cm deep, on loam - 50 cm and 60 cm, on clay soil- 60 cm and 70 cm, respectively).
2 A fertile substrate is poured onto the drainage with a layer of 10-15 cm.
3 The seedling is placed in a hole, the roots are distributed over the hole, and the hydrangea root collar is placed slightly above the soil level.
4 The roots are covered with the remaining earth and rammed. Watered large quantity water (2-3 buckets).

If hydrangeas are planted in dry and hot weather, it is recommended to spray the seedling with water.

Necessary Care

1 Watering. Insufficient amount of water can have a detrimental effect on the growth and flowering of the plant. In hot, dry weather, hydrangea must be watered at least twice a week, at the rate of 3-5 buckets under a bush. If the weather is cloudy, then once is enough. You can reduce the amount of watering with the help of mulching - a layer of mulch should be about 10 cm.
2 Feeding hydrangeas. After transferring to permanent place hydrangea does not need to be fertilized for two years - it has enough of the fertilizers that were applied during planting. For the third year - in early spring, the plant needs to be fed, preferably with a specialized complex for hydrangeas. During the appearance of buds, the bush must be fertilized with superphosphate and potassium sulfate. Another plant will need to be fertilized with diluted 1:10 mullein. To provide increased strength branches, it is advisable to water the bush once every 30 days with the addition of potassium permanganate at the rate of 2 mg per 10 liters of water.
3 Pruning branches. It is carried out to prevent excessive density of the bush, at which the flowers are crushed. The first two years after transplantation, the bush does not need to be cut, giving it the opportunity to get stronger. In the third year, pruning is carried out in late March - early April, that is, before the juices begin to move. First of all, you need to cut off diseased, damaged shoots and branches that violate the decorative effect of the bush. Then cut all last year's shoots into 3 buds, which helps to give the bush a neat shape.

Diseases and pests

Hydrangea is susceptible to attack by insect pests such as aphids, spider mites, different types bedbugs and weevil. To get rid of them, the plant must be sprayed with insecticide solutions.

Hydrangea is considered a disease-resistant plant, but it can suffer from chlorosis or downy mildew. At the first lighten the leaves, and the veins remain dark. This is due to the transformation of acidic soil into alkaline. To get rid of this disease, the bush is watered with a solution of iron sulfate (45 g per 10 liters of water). When affected by downy mildew, oily spots form on the leaves, turning yellow and darkening over time. To cure the bush is treated with a solution of foundationol.

Hydrangeas Macrophyla are inherently frost-resistant, but it is advisable to insulate tree trunks with covering material or a thick layer of sawdust and dry leaves for the winter.

reproduction

Reproduction of hydrangea is carried out different ways. It depends both on the climate and the experience of the grower.

The easiest and most common method is propagation by green cuttings (with leaves and buds). The procedure is recommended to be carried out in mid-July, when buds appear.

cuttings

The process is the following:

1 Cut early in the morning lateral shoots with large buds, while they are still well saturated with moisture.
2 Put them in water.
3 Remove the green top.
4 Cut the shoots into pieces so that each of them has 2-3 leaves. Cut off the lower ones, and cut off the upper ones in half.
5 Place the cut cuttings for 2 hours in water with "Kornevin" so that the leaves are above the liquid level.
6 Prepare the soil: two parts of peat must be mixed with one part of sand, and then moistened.
7 Place the cuttings in the ground and cover with jars.

Watering should be carried out 1-2 times in 7-10 days. After about a month, the cuttings will take root (an indicator of this will be the appearance of new leaves). Banks from seedlings must be removed, covered with any material to protect them from autumn frosts. On the winter period seedlings must additionally be covered with foliage and hay. Plants are planted in a permanent place when they reach a height of 35-45 cm.

seeds

Some prefer seed propagation. But with this method of sowing breeding types of hydrangeas, the latter lose their varietal properties.

The process is as follows:

1 V pretreatment seed material is not needed. It is planted in a container for seedlings (in moist soil).
2 Close with polyethylene or glass.
3 Watering is carried out as the soil dries. After 20 days, the first shoots appear.
4 The seedlings are grown for about two years, after which they are transferred to a permanent place.

layering

Reproduction by layering is also practiced, but it is advisable before the buds bloom (i.e., in early spring):

1 The soil near the bush is dug up, and grooves are made in it about 3 cm deep.
2 The lower branch of the hydrangea is placed in the recesses, crocheted, moistened and added dropwise.
3 At the beginning of autumn, shoots appear on the layers, which need to be dug up when they grow to 20 cm. After a week and a half, they re-spud, and so on, until the mound reaches 26 cm.
4 In the middle of autumn, the layers are dug up, the processes are divided among themselves.
5 Seedlings are added dropwise until spring, then they are separated and grown.

They can be planted in a permanent place in a year.

But when propagating hydrangeas by offspring, a certain skill is required:

1 In autumn, remove the top layer of soil under the bush.
2 To avoid damage to the root system, carefully cut off the shoots, which are planted for growing for 1-2 years.

Division

Reproduction and division of the bush is possible. This method is relevant in the first months of spring.

1 Hydrangea is well moistened and dug up.
2 Clean and wash the soil from the roots.
3 Divide the bush into parts (their number depends on the size of the bush and the density of the roots).
4 Remove damaged parts, treat them with Kornevin.
5 Immediately planted shoots in a permanent place.

Survival in this case is good. But which method to choose, everyone decides for himself.

Hydrangea aspera sargentiana

Add to bookmarks:

Synonyms:Hydrangea aspera sargentiana, Hydrangea aspera sargentiana (Rehder) E.M. McClint.

(Hydrangea sargentiana) - subspecies, according to some sources, a species of the genus Hydrangea from the family. Originally from Eastern China, where it grows in dense forests on valleys and slopes, at an altitude of 700-1800 m above sea level. Named in honor of the American botanist Charles Sprague Sargent, the first director of the Arnold Arboretum (Harvard University Botanical Garden, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, USA). It was brought to the USA from China in 1908 by the Anglo-American botanist Ernesto Henry Wilson (1876-1930), on one of his trips to collect plants in the Arnold Arboretum.

Represents deciduous shrub 1-2 (3-6) m in height and width. It grows rapidly, annual growth is 20-25 cm. Plant grows from the end of April until frost. Shoots grow vertically, thick, slightly branched, rigid, covered with bristly, dense, almost spiky hairs. The bark is brown, exfoliating.

root system branched, shallow, forms root offspring and can grow strongly in width.

Leaves arranged oppositely, very large, reaching 30 cm in length and 6-16 cm in width, oblong-ovate or broadly ovate, with a sharp apex and heart-shaped base, the margins are slightly dentate, on the petiole 5-11.5 cm in length. Upper side leaf blade green, slightly rough, covered with white sparse hairs, underside grey-green, velvety-rough, densely pubescent with white hairs. The petiole is densely pubescent with short brown hairs 2-4 mm long. They don't change color in autumn.

Blooms annually, from late July to mid-September. Flowers are flat umbellate or corymbose inflorescences, 15-20 cm in diameter, fertile flowers are light purple or light purple inside, sterile flowers peripheral, white, 2-3 cm in diameter, composed of 4 obovate, almost rounded sepals with smooth, sometimes curved, non-serrated margins.

Fruit inconspicuous, small boxes, 3-4 mm in diameter, with a truncated top. They ripen in October in favorable years with a warm autumn. The seeds are winged, small, brown in color and elliptical in shape. Blossoms and fructifies from 13-14 years.

Frost resistance zone: 6-7 (-23°C). The container culture needs good cover. The rest of the varieties are fairly hardy. AT middle lane behaves like a perennial plant, in winter it loses all the above-ground part and grows 80-100 cm annually. May suffer from late frosts, but grows back quickly.

Location: heat-loving, sun-loving, but the bright sun can burn the leaves. Needs a place protected from strong and cold winds. Drought tolerant, but prefers damp places.

The soil: Prefers neutral to slightly acidic soil. They do not tolerate lime, they suffer from chlorosis on alkaline soil (for protection, watering with a solution of salts containing iron is carried out once every 10 days). Optimal soil acidity pH=4.0-6.5. Most decorative on drained and moderately fertile soils.

Landing: the optimal age for planting is 2-3 years. Planting is best done in spring or autumn. The size landing pit on light cultivated soils - 40x40x50 cm, on loamy cultivated soils - 50x50x60 cm, on heavy clay soils- 60x60x70 cm. It is recommended to place drains in the form of gravel at the bottom of the pit, broken brick a layer of 5-10 cm. Fertile soil is poured over the drainage with a layer of 10-15 cm. The roots are spread over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe pit, and the root neck is placed at soil level. Water consumption after planting per plant on sandy loamy soil 20-25 l, medium loamy 15-20 l, heavy loamy 10-15 l. In dry and windy weather, it is recommended to spray the plant immediately after planting.

Care: at least 2 times a year, it is recommended to loosen the soil around the bush to a depth of 5 cm. Watering must be carried out at least 5 times a season. To increase the strength of the shoots, a weak solution of potassium permanganate can be watered along the crown and under the root. Fertilizing with manure or mineral fertilizers is carried out at the beginning of growth, during the formation of buds, and also 1-2 times in the summer. For the winter, it needs shelter with spruce branches or dry leaves.

Pruning: needs pruning for the winter.

reproduction: propagated mainly by dividing the bush and root shoots. The cuttings take root weakly.

Pests: aphids (pelargonium, greenhouse, bean), greenhouse tripe, slobbering pennitsa, spider mite, green tree bug, berry bug, meadow bug, brilliant fawn leaf beetle, nettle leaf weevil, scoops (caterpillars of night butterflies), golden bronzovka, hairy deer, mosquito marsh centipede, earwig, gall nematode.

Diseases: Tracheomycosis wilt, White sclerocial rot, Gray rot, Ordinary (European) cancer, Tubercular necrosis of the cortex, powdery mildew, Phyllostic, septoria, ring and ascochitous spotting, Chlorosis.

Usage: used to create beautifully flowering hedges, spectacular group and single landings. Looks beautiful in groups on the lawn, edging more tall shrubs and trees. Good honey plant.

If your garden is already growing hydrangeas of the usual forms, and you are a fan of these plants, it's time to try growing rare forms. Of course, such plants will require more care, because it is not known how quickly they will take root in the conditions of your site and whether they wish to make you happy. lush bloom. But only a walking person can master the road, and in any case, it’s definitely worth a try!

Rare forms include serrate, Sargent, rough, oak-leaved, Bretschneider and, perhaps, ashy - all these names of hydrangea species are heard by any grower, but few dared to breed them. If desired, any types of garden hydrangeas can be found in Russian stores or directories. It is worth noting that all of them are quite thermophilic (the city of ashen is a separate story), they should be planted in the most comfortable place protected from the winds and covered for the winter. They will bloom in the middle lane, with the exception of the oak-leaved hydrangea, almost every year, but, of course, not as chic as in Europe.

On this page you will find out what are rare species hydrangeas and how to care for them.

Ornamental shrub Hydrangea Bretschneider

In terms of habitus, the ornamental shrub Bretschneider's hydrangea, found in 1882 in the vicinity of Beijing, rather resembles a lilac or a large mock orange. Its height is up to 4 m. It can grow in the form of a bush or a tree, it is very frost-resistant, durable, does not bother with growth, does not require any supports. Compared to other hydrangeas, it is drought tolerant. This miracle blooms annually and very abundantly, covered with slightly fragrant inflorescences with a diameter of about 15 cm.

As you can see in the photo, Bretschneider's hydrangea flowers are milky white at first, later they turn pink and purple tones:

The color of the inflorescences can change with changes in the acidity of the soil. In this type of hydrangea, the flowers are collected in large umbellate, slightly convex shields, which stay on the plant for a long time, until late autumn.

Fruits - dry boxes - ripen in September. Blooms from 5-6 years.

Bretschneider (N. bretschneideri) seeds and cuttings.

Cuttings usually root without problems. The root system of the hydrangea is superficial and branched. Hydrangea can grow in partial shade and full sun. Moreover, in full sun it blooms better, but there it needs to be watered, otherwise the leaves may dry out and burn.

Dislikes calcareous soils and windy places. Does not tolerate winter dampness, the soil must be sufficiently permeable.

Cut the shrub before the start of sap flow. Strong faded shoots are shortened to a well-developed node with buds, all old, weak and frozen ones are cut out. Hydrangeas are fed with special hydrangea fertilizers rich in magnesium and iron.

Hydrangea Bretschneider is a unique plant. This is a great backdrop in a shrub mixborder, an element in a shrub group that you want to see blooming in the second half of summer.

Look at the photo - this type of hydrangea looks great in autumn and winter in combination with viburnum, hawthorn, rowan Köhne (with white fruits):

With these plants, the hydrangea also looks interesting in summer thanks to the contrasting foliage.

For a long time, Bretschneider's hydrangea was impossible to buy. Now domestic nurseries have begun to grow it.

Bretschneider is sometimes found in Western European nurseries:

'Snowcap'

'Jermyn's Lace'

The diameter of their inflorescences is gigantic - from 25 to 30 cm. It is not known how the varieties will feel in central Russia.

Hydrangea serrate: photo and description of varieties

serrate hydrangea (N. serrata) – close relative. At home, in the mountains of Japan and Korea, it is an upright shrub about one and a half meters in height. Its foliage is different from that of the large-leaved hydrangea. It is smaller and narrower, sometimes even lanceolate.

Pay attention to the photo - the inflorescences of the serrate hydrangea are slightly convex, corymbose:

In the central part fertile flowers, on the periphery relatively large rare sterile - white, pink or bluish. Pink and blue are able to change the color of the inflorescences depending on the acidity of the soil. Hydrangea serrata is unusually good in July-August during flowering.

Tolerates light shade. When caring for this type of hydrangea, mandatory shelter for the winter is required. As a shelter, it is recommended to wrap the bush in burlap, roofing material and be sure to spill dry leaves inside. If the bush can be bent, the chance of a successful wintering will increase. Due to the difficulty of shelter, mainly in the southern regions, in the northern regions it is prone to freezing. This is important, since inflorescences are laid, as a rule, on last year's shoots. Although sometimes inflorescences appear on new shoots growing from the lower buds.

Hydrangea serrata has a lot of varieties. They are compact, used for container growing.

The most famous variety is ‘Blue Bird’ with a bright blue color of sterile flowers. The center is dark blue.

In 'Preziosa' almost all flowers are sterile.

As they bloom, their color changes from light pink to purple. The acidity of the soil does not affect the color of the flowers.

‘Spreading beauty’ interesting for the prostrate form of the bush and the fiery autumn color of the foliage.

‘Golden Sunlight’ is different yellow foliage, especially bright at the beginning of dissolution. Flowers in pink.

Ornamental garden shrub hydrangea Sargent

Sometimes the ornamental shrub hydrangea Sargent is considered as a subspecies of rough hydrangea (H. aspera ssp. sargentiana).

Sargent's hydrangea is native to Central China. In nature large shrub up to 3 m tall. In central Russia, it reaches 1-1.5 m in height. With age, it grows strongly in width. The bush is not falling apart, with thick shoots.

As you can see in the photo, the leaves of Sargent's hydrangea are very spectacular, large, dark green, covered with thick hairs, as if velvet, very pleasant to the touch:

Hydrangea blooms regularly, in July.

Inflorescences are flat, corymbose, 16 cm in diameter. Fruiting flowers are pale purple, sterile are white. It is impossible to bend the plant to the ground, so the shoots are cut short in the fall. The short lignified part and trunk circle cover with a dry leaf or spruce branches.

Sometimes, to protect from the cold, the base of the bush is mulched, and the crown is tied with covering material - lutrasil, spunbond and then kraft paper. With such shelter, the shoots can be preserved if the winter turns out to be favorable. If you're not lucky - it's okay, the shoots, as already mentioned, will grow back.

In early spring, once the danger of hard frost has passed, the mulch and kraft paper are removed, but not until mid-April. This work is carried out on a cloudy day, in the late afternoon, so as not to cause burns with bright rays. spring sun. The most thermophilic of the hydrangeas mentioned in this book, it belongs to the 7th zone according to the zonal gradation system adopted by the Department Agriculture USA and used in other countries.

Hydrangea rough

Hydrangea rough (H. aspera) is native to the Himalayas and Western China. Similar to Sargent's hydrangea, also pubescent. In nature, this is a small tree or shrub from 4 to 10 m high. The leaves are somewhat smaller and narrower than those of Sargent, with serrated edges and a long bent end. The diameter of the inflorescences is 25 cm.

Look at the photo - this type of garden hydrangea has sterile flowers that are white, pinkish, bluish, may have jagged petals, the center of the inflorescence is purple:

The winter hardiness of the rough hydrangea is the same as that of Sargent, so the plants require the same care.

Rough hydrangea has varieties, but they are not too different from each other.

Some of them are grouped villosa (Villosa Group).

Among them - ‘Velvet Lace’ with inflorescences in lilac purple colors and ‘Anthony Bullivant’ with pink sterile flowers and purple flowers.

Perhaps, of all varieties of rough hydrangea, the most interesting are - 'Peter Chappell' and ‘Macrophylla’.

The first one has a light center, sterile flowers are snow-white with wide serrated petals, the second one has sterile flowers pinkish, brimless.

Ornamental shrub hydrangea ashy (with photo)

motherland ornamental bush rnika hydrangea ash, or gray (N. cinerea listen)) is eastern North America. It is very similar to, differs from it by a well-defined grayish pubescence on the lower part of the leaf.

The photo shows that ashy hydrangea forms large hemispherical inflorescences:

The height of the shrub is 1.1-1.5 m. It has been grown in the GBS RAS since 1954 (Seeds were obtained from Amsterdam and Turin).

The problem is that not all taxonomists recognize the independence of this type. In serious foreign reference books, the plant is called H. arborescens var. discolor, that is, tree-like hydrangea, a multi-colored variety. But that's not all.

There is an old hybrid (before 1860) - grayish hydrangea (N. x canescens), which also has a grayish pubescence on the underside of the leaf. Since all three hydrangeas (a species tree-like variety of multi-colored, ashy and grayish) have long been in culture, hardly anyone is able to distinguish them.

What do gardeners care about the intricacies of taxonomy? Direct. The plant you planted may have different winter hardiness. Option two. The first - it is equal to the winter hardiness of the hydrangea tree. The second - the plant can withstand temperatures down to -23 degrees. In this case, the shrub is suitable for landscaping southern regions Russia.

Hydrangea gray‘Sterilis', which can be found in garden centers, similar to Hydrangea arborescens ‘Grandiflora’, but it has a gray underside of the leaf and fewer) sterile flowers in the inflorescence.

Oakleaf hydrangea: photo and description of varieties

hydrangea oak-leaved (N. quercifolia) - the most exotic among the other hydrangeas. This is a North American plant 1.5-3 m high. Its “zest” is textured leaves that are pleasant to the touch, resembling red oak leaves in shape. Such leaves are the main difference between this form and other types of this shrub.

As shown in the photo, in the oak-leaved hydrangea, the edges of each leaf are sharp, with notches:

Leaf size - up to 25 cm. Fresh shoots and young leaves are covered with light fluff white color, which disappears over time, remaining only on the underside of the sheet. In autumn, the leaves turn purple-red.

Hydrangeas have huge, up to 30 cm, paniculate inflorescences with a predominance of sterile flowers, which at first stand like candles, then gradually lean. Unfortunately, in central Russia, it practically does not bloom. Experts suggest that the matter is not only in the relatively low frost resistance of the shrub (it can withstand a short-term drop in temperature to -29 ° C), but in the insufficient number of sunny days.

Where the climate is milder and there is more sun, varieties of oak-leaved hydrangea are popular:

'Snow Flake'

Its variety of species and colors allows you to create a piece of paradise in any garden.

Hydrangea varieties grown in Russian gardens

Anabel is the most common variety tree hydrangea. It's been out for quite some time. The bush grows small and compact, its height is about one and a half meters. The crown is sprawling and has the shape of a dome, reaches a diameter of 3 m. The stem is bare gray. The leaves are very large, up to 30 cm long, bright rich green in color with a finely serrated edge. The foliage retains its color until frost. The flowers are white, round, about 2 cm in size, grouped in inflorescences-balls up to 30 cm in diameter. The flowering period is from early summer to September. The bush is characterized by rapid growth up to 10 cm per year. Frost-resistant. Prefers slightly shaded areas.
Grandiflora- a magnificent bush of tree-like hydrangea with spherical crown, up to 2 m high and up to 3 m in diameter. The leaves are green ovate up to 10 cm. It blooms in corymbose inflorescences of small flowers. During the entire flowering period from July to September, the color of the flowers changes several times. At first they are light green, then turn white, and towards the end they become creamy. The growth per year is up to 30 cm. The plant prefers sunny places with little partial shade. Grandiflora loves moist soil and does not tolerate drought. Moderately frost-resistant variety.
Shrub tree hydrangea varieties Sterilis has a rounded shape, reaches a height of 2-3 m. The foliage is green on top, and has a bluish tint on the underside. Leaves with small notches and up to 20 cm long. Its annual growth is about 20 cm. The inflorescences are dense in the form of a hemisphere about 25 cm in size. The bush blooms with sterile light green flowers, which turn white over time. The plant prefers well-drained fertile soils, sunny areas with some partial shade. The winter hardiness of the variety is average.
Kyushu- grade paniculate hydrangea. The bush has a fan-shaped crown up to 3 m in size and grows up to 2.5-3 m. The stems are painted red-brown. The leaves, pubescent in rich green color on red petioles, are ovoid in shape. White flowers are collected in a wide panicle 15-25 cm long. Sterile flowers up to 2-3 cm consist of 4 white petals, which later turn pink. Honey shrub. The plant does not tolerate stagnant moisture in the soil and strong dry winds. Fast growing variety, prefers partial shade. Frost resistance is good up to -25 degrees.
Vanilla Fraze- a very effective variety of paniculate hydrangea. It is a low shrub with dark green foliage. Leaves ovate, rough. It has very beautiful cone-shaped inflorescences up to 30 cm, which stand out for their color. At the beginning of flowering, they are white, and by September, the bottom of the cone-inflorescence acquires a pink-strawberry hue, and the top remains white. fast growing plant, perfectly restored after freezing. The shrub is able to withstand low temperatures up to -40 degrees.
Lime Light- enough popular variety paniculate hydrangea, memorable for its lime-colored inflorescences. Gradually, the color of cone-shaped inflorescences acquires a light lemon or white hue, and turns slightly pink by autumn. The foliage is velvety dark green. The bush has very strong stems capable of supporting the weight of large inflorescences. The variety does not require various supports and tying. The plant grows up to 2 m in height and width. The growth per year is about 25 cm. It prefers sunny and moist areas. It is frost-resistant, young bushes should be covered in winter.
Pinky Winky- Belgian variety of panicled hydrangea. The variety is famous for its bright color of flowers and leaves. An important feature varieties are strong shoots, so the plant does not need support. The bush of this variety is small compact, the crown has a rounded shape. Inflorescences are cone-shaped panicles of white color by autumn, acquiring purple tones. The change in their color occurs gradually, which allows you to observe flowers of different tones in one panicle. The leaves are dark green and hairy along the veins. The foliage also turns red-purple in autumn. Young bushes need shelter in the cold season. Mature plants tolerate frosts down to -25 degrees.
White Ball frost-resistant bush of a large-leaved variety up to a meter high. It blooms in spherical inflorescences of snow-white color. The foliage is rich green, large. Flowers appear on young and shoots previous year. Prefers sunny places with some partial shade.
Romance Blue – winter-hardy variety large-leaved hydrangea. The plant grows up to 1.5 m. It blooms on the shoots of the new and last season. spherical inflorescences about 25 cm in diameter. The flowers are terry blue-blue. Leaves, elongated green. Likes sun, moisture and well-drained soil.
Endles Summer- "Endless summer". The name is given due to the peculiarity of blooming not only on the shoots of the last season, but on the shoots current year. The bush is small compact up to 1.5 m. Depending on the acidity of the soil, the color spherical inflorescences varies from blue to pink. The variety has good winter hardiness and does not require shelters.

How to distinguish types and varieties of hydrangea?

In reality, this is quite difficult to do. Species should be determined at the time of flowering, when all parts of the bush can be evaluated. Paying attention to the structure of the inflorescences, the ratio of sterile and fertile flowers, the color, shape and pubescence of the leaves, the degree of lignification of the stems, you can correctly determine the type of shrub and correctly select agricultural practices.

Positive qualities of hydrangea:

due to the large species and varietal diversity, you can choose the most suitable shrub for your conditions;
a bunch of various kinds allows you to use the plant as a hedge, in mixborders and flower beds of various types;
hydrangeas are quite resistant to pests and diseases;
after damage, the plant quickly recovers;
can grow on soils of various fertility, tolerates close occurrence of groundwater, loves acidified soils;
long flowering period;
collected inflorescences can be used in dried flower arrangements;
decoctions and tinctures from the leaves and root of hydrangea have medicinal properties.

Unfortunately, not all types of this beautiful shrub tolerate cold and can be grown in Russia. When keeping a hydrangea, you must strictly follow the rules of care, and then this beauty will delight you with chic flowering.

Kinds

Hydrangea

The place of origin of this species is North America. It is a shrub growing up to 3 m tall. The leaves are large, without pubescence, serrated, green above and gray below. Inflorescences appear on annual twigs, have a flat shape or the shape of a ball 15-20 cm in size. At first, the flowers are painted in green color, when fully bloomed, turn into white or cream. Prefers to grow in shady places, does not tolerate drought.

This variety is quite unpretentious, it is not afraid of frost and shading of the site. Due to its rapid growth, this variety quickly grows new shoots. In temperate climates, the plant blooms from July to November. The species is not very rich in varietal diversity.

Popular varieties of tree hydrangea:

« Annabelle» large sprawling shrub, tolerates wintering well, has beautiful lush white inflorescences. Leaves reach 15 cm, retaining their green color until frost.
« White Anna"- inflorescences from pale pink to purple.
« Grandiflora"- large snow-white inflorescences.
« Invisibell Spirit"- has large bright pink inflorescences that brighten over time.
« Incrediball"- white inflorescences, surprising with their large size, the bush reaches 1.5 m.
« Sterilis"- spherical white inflorescences.
« Pink Pication"- inflorescences are pale pink.
« White House"- a dense bush about a meter, an inflorescence is a shield in the center, of which fruit-bearing flowers are located, and sterile along the edge.
« Hayes Starburst"- double light green flowers in the form of a ball with a diameter of up to 25 cm. A bush up to 1.3 m high.

Hydrangea paniculata

Its distribution area is Japan, China, south of Sakhalin. It has the appearance of a shrub about 2 m tall, and can reach 5 m. The stems of the shrub quickly become woody, which allows the plant to endure wintering well. The leaves are elongated and pubescent. Flowers are formed on new shoots and look like a pyramid.

The inflorescence is a mixture of fertile and non-fertile flowers. At the beginning of flowering, they are painted in a greenish tint, then turn white, and by autumn they become terracotta or light purple.

The saturation of the color depends on the weather and the degree of illumination. The warmer and sunnier the weather, the brighter the hydrangea flowers.

The flowering of the shrub begins at the end of summer and lasts all autumn.

This species prefers slightly shaded areas with very bright sunshine flowers shrink. The species is not picky about the conditions, it tolerates frosts well even without shelter. The variety has a rich varietal assortment.

Varieties of panicled hydrangea:

To grow plants in pots, breeders bred low-growing varieties no more than a meter high:

"Pinky Winky";
"Brussel Leys";
"Bomshel";
"Last Post";
"Darts Little Dot";
"Bobo" (lemon-green flowers, turning pink over time).

Hydrangea large-leaved or garden

It grows wild in Japan, Sakhalin. The height of varietal forms is about 2 m. Low-growing varieties for pot growing have a height of up to half a meter. The bush winters poorly, the shoots become woody in the second year. garden hydrangea does not tolerate limestone. Intense green foliage. Flower buds form in autumn.

For overwintering, the plant should be covered with straw, spruce branches or non-woven material. Be sure to remove the shelter in time in the spring, otherwise the plant may overheat.

Flowering begins in mid-summer. Flowers are about 3 cm.

Varieties of large-leaved hydrangea:

« Japanese"- inflorescences in the form of an umbrella;
« fickle"- flowers in the form of a hemisphere and change color depending on the reaction of the soil and the presence of metal ions in it. Due to this specific property of the changeable hydrangea, there are many varieties of this species. On soils with an acidic reaction, the flowers are blue or blue color, on neutral and alkaline - pink or red. For brighter coloring, you can artificially change the reaction of the soil by adding iron sulphate or alum.

Frost-resistant varieties are remontant. The flowering of such varieties begins with buds on the shoots of the second year and continues on the stems of the current season.

Frost-resistant varieties:

"Blue Haven";
"Firewox Pink";
"Mini Penny";
"White Ball";
"Coco Blanc";
"Endles Summer" - white or blue flowers;
"Romance" - double flowers;
"Expression" - terry bright pink jagged flowers in the form of shields;
"Ever Peppermint" - the flowers are light on the edge, and the middle is pink or blue;
"Red Sensation" - red inflorescences and burgundy-colored stems.

petiolate hydrangea

Lianoid shrub up to 25 m long. For flowering, he needs a support to which it is attached with the help of aerial roots. The foliage is dark green, smooth and heart shaped. fragrant flowers collected in umbrellas 15-20 cm in size, the color varies from green-white to lilac.

Liana is frost-resistant, but in very coldy may be damaged. To avoid freezing young plant should be removed from the support and covered for the winter. Can grow without support groundcover, forming a dense "carpet". Prefers a shady place. It is used for gardening arbors, decorating various slopes and walls.

Hydrangea variegated or variegated

This species is also called groundcover, Bretschneider hydrangea or Himalayan. The plant has strong woody shoots, milky-white viburnum-shaped inflorescences and elongated ovate leaves. The shoots are reddish in color and have hairs of exfoliated bark.

By autumn, the flowers turn pink-purple. The shrub is shade-tolerant, hardy and can tolerate dry times. It reaches a height of up to 3 m. Cut inflorescences look beautiful in dried flowers.

hydrangea oak-leaved

The species is named so because of the similarity of its leaves with oak. The foliage is rich green above, velvety and whitish below. By September, the leaves turn red. The bush grows no more than 1.5 m. The plant blooms with panicle inflorescences. In the cold season, it freezes and does not bloom. By cutting off the shoots in the fall, and covering the root system, the plant can be grown as an ornamental shrub with luxurious leaves.

Hydrangea ash or gray

The bush has good winter hardiness, moisture-loving. It grows up to 2 m. Inflorescences are corymbose from small sterile flowers. The leaves are oval in shape and pale green in color. Looks good as a hedge.

Hydrangea Sargent

An uncommon species that blooms with light lilac flowers collected in corymbs. The stems are reddish in color. The leaves are large up to 25 cm in length. After freezing, it builds up young shoots well and can bloom.

serrate hydrangea

Plant up to 1.5 m high with large inflorescences balls. Grows well in sunny areas. Inflorescences are bicolor. The shade of flowers will change depending on the acidity of the soil. The bred variety of this species "Blue Bird" or bluebird has blue-colored flowers and leaves. View when sheltered can tolerate frost.

Hydrangea radiata

Fast growing shrub about 2.5 m tall. It blooms in white clusters of flowers in the form of an umbrella. Leaves are lanceolate-oval. Flowering lasts no more than a month.

For growing shrubs in Russian gardens, it is better to take species and varieties adapted to the climate of Russia. The plant must have good winter hardiness. Otherwise, the bush will not please you with luxurious flowers.

Feel great in our climate zone tree-like and paniculate varieties of shrubs. The garden look is more whimsical and better suited for pot growing.

Categories

Popular