As a summer sure, Hydrangea is a flowering shrub that can also grow into a small tree depending upon the species of which there are up to 75 varieties. Big-leafed and presenting a full-foliage appearance, hydrangeas are native to Asia, both south and east regions, and North and South America. Sun loving as these shrubs are, they give up their best during this season but look unattractive in the winter with coarse leaves and no blooms to soften and gladden the eye.

In season, however, hydrangeas get showy, putting out big blooms with clusters of tiny flowers. These come in colors such as blue, white, pink and red. Adding a nutrient, rich in aluminum, can change the color of the bloom and the higher the content, the hydrangea flowers go from blue to pink. The white variety does not seem to respond to this trick and it is always advisable to plant from the respective seeds and stick to the basic fertilizer or nutrient generally added to the soil. An acidic soil supports blue hydrangea while pink or lilac flowers grow in a more neutral soil. Many a time, the plant does a chameleon all on its own and can have two or even three different-colored blooms all on one shrub.

The two strains of big-leafed hydrangea shrubs are 'Lacecaps' and 'Mopheads'. The former produces random shoots of flowers slightly taller than the clustered flower head. These can be two-toned and the cultivar known as 'Lilacina' have lilac flowers on a blue clustered bloom. The variegated variety of this type has leaves with streaks of white and cream. The 'Blue Wave' variety of this group has wavy sepals.

The second cultivar called 'Mopheads' has three strains called 'Forever Pink' 'Penny Mac' and 'Pink Elf'. The first variety flowers earlier than others and in cool weather becomes red of bloom. The second keeps on flowering into blue clusters right up to frost. 'Pink Elf' gives off pink flowers on plants that grow to 3 ft in height.

By mid-summer the plants are in full bloom and a soil rich in organic nutrients that are well watered but not slushy produces the best growth. As always, mulch keeps the soil from loosing moisture and blocking out extra heat.

If you like artciles about trees & shrubs....These pages might also interest you:

Guide to Conifers & Evergreens, How to Prune Shrubs, Gardening With Viburnum, Gingko Trees, Growing Magnolias, Japanese Barbury, Katsura Trees,Shrubs as Garden Borders,The Weeping Atlas Tree, Tough Trees, Great Birch Trees, Growing Citrus Trees, How to Prune Shrubs,How to Start Seedlings, Lustrous Abelia, Popular Shrubs, Shrub Winter Care Guide, Shrubs With Berries, Summer Hydrangeas