Hydrangea L.

About plant names...

Hydrangeas are hardy shrubs or sometimes small trees that are native to many areas of the world. Their large, copious, beautiful flowerheads make them popular for foundation plantings, and many cultivated varieties exist. Hydrangea macrophylla flowers have a pigment whose color depends on soil acidity, may be white, blue, purple, or pink.

Online References:

Hydrangeas! Hydrangeas!

The United States National Arboretum

The American Hydrangea Society

The University of Rhode Island Landscape Horticulture Program GreenShare Factsheets

(Hydrangea) · 8/8/2010 · Rod and Ellen’s, Westford, Mass­a­chu­setts Species not yet identified

Here are a few of the many varieties of hydrangeas:

	Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’	Hydrangea arborescens ‘Dardom’	Hydrangea macrophylla
Common Name	wild hydrangea	smooth hydrangea	blue hydrangea
Plant	Shrubs that reach 3-5' (91-152 cm) in height.	Shrubs are 3-5' (91-152 cm) high.	Rounded shrub 3-6' (91-182 cm) around. Branches emerge from the ground and rarely branch.
Flowers	Large white flowerheads up to 8-12" (20-30 cm) across.	Dome-shaped corymbs 6-10" (15-25 cm) around contain both sterile and mostly fertile flowers.	Large, ball-shaped clusters, which may be white or cream-colored; or shades of pink or blue ranging from pale in natural varieties to bright in cultivated varieties.
Leaves	Dark green, wrinkled, 8-12" (20-30 cm) across.	Elliptical, serrated, 3-8" (7.6-20 cm) long, and dark green.	Opposite, 4-8" (10-20 cm) × 3-6" (7.6-15 cm), crinkly, with serrated leaf margins.
Fruit
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 3-9	USDA Zones: 4-9	USDA Zones: 6-10
Habitats		Wooded slopes, bases of hills, shaded banks, ravines
Type	Cultivar	Cultivar	Wild

	Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’	Hydrangea paniculata ‘Kyushu’	Hydrangea quercifolia
Common Name	peegee hydrangea	panicled hydrangea	oak leaved hydrangea
Plant	These shrubs reach heights of 15-25' (4.6-7.6 m), and somewhat less in diameter, often taking the form of a small tree.	These small trees reach heights of 10-30' (3-9.1 m).	Oakleaf hydrangea favors calcium-bearing soils and grows in open hardwood forests. Shrubs are up to 8' (2.4 m) tall, and about the same around. Bark is cinnamon-colored and felt-like, peeling when older.
Flowers	White or pink, more cone-shaped than ball-shaped, in clusters up to 10" (25 cm) long and 8" (20 cm) around. They bloom from July to September.	Blooms are white or pink, cone-shaped, in clusters up to 10" (25 cm) long and 8" (20 cm) around. They bloom from July to September.	Large (up to 12" (30 cm)) flower clusters contain many cream-colored, white or pinkish flowers. Individual flowers are about 1" (2.5 cm) around.
Leaves	Opposite, roughly oval shaped, with serrated edges, 2-5" (5-12 cm) long.	Leaves are opposite, roughly oval shaped, with serrated edges, 2-5" (5-12 cm) long.	Dark green, opposite, lobed like oak leaves, longer than they are wide, up to 12" (30 cm) long. In the fall, the leaves are attractively colored, including a deep red-violet.
Fruit			Small brown capsules.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 3-8	USDA Zones: 4-9	USDA Zones: 5-9
Habitats			Hardwood forest understories, in calcium-bearing soil.
Type	Cultivar	Cultivar	Wild

Hydrangea description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Sep 2020.

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