Hydrangea Pics: Hydrangea Meaning and Symbolism Fresh by FTD

Hydrangea (/ha?'dre?nd?i?/;common labels hydrangea or hortensia) is a genus of 70-75 kinds of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia (China, Japan, Korea, the Himalayas, and Indonesia) and the Americas. Certainly the greatest kinds diversity is at eastern Asia, notably China, Japan, and Korea. Most are shrubs 1 to 3 meters high, but some are small trees, yet others lianas reaching up to 30 m (98 foot) by climbing up trees and shrubs. They can be either deciduous or evergreen, although cultivated temperate kinds are all deciduous widely.Having been introduced to the Azores, H. macrophylla is quite typical now, on Faial particularly, which is known as the "blue island" because of the vast number of hydrangeas present on the island.Life cycleHydrangea blooms are produced from planting season to late fall months; they expand in flowerheads (corymbs or panicles) most often at the ends of the stems.

Typically the flowerheads contain two types of flowers: small non-showy blooms in the center or interior of the flowerhead, and large, showy flowers with large vibrant sepals (tepals). These showy flowers are extended in a band often, or to the exterior of the tiny flowers. Plant life in untamed populations have few to nothing of the showy blooms typically, while cultivated hydrangeas have been bred and decided on to have significantly more of the bigger type blooms.There are two flower arrangements in hydrangeas with Corymb style inflorescens, which include the commonly grown "bigleaf hydrangea"--Hydrangea macrophylla. Mophead blossoms are large spherical flowerheads resembling pom-poms or, as the name suggests, the mind of your mop. On the other hand, lacecap flowers bear round, flat flowerheads with a center core of subdued, small flowers ornamented by outer bands of larger bouquets having showy tepals or sepals.

The plants of some viburnums and rhododendrons can look, at first glance, very much like those of some hydrangeas.Ground and colors acidityIn most varieties the flowers are white, but in some varieties (notably H. macrophylla), can be blue, red, red, light crimson, or dark purple. In these types the color is afflicted by the existence of aluminium ions which can be found or tied up depending upon the land pH. For H. h and macrophylla. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be dependant on the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminum ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple, whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminum ions and bring about pink or red flowers.

This is caused by a color change of the blossom pigments in the occurrence of aluminium ions which can be adopted into hyperaccumulating plants.[6] Cutting down the pH of potting soils or mixes usually does not change the bloom color to blue, because these soils have no aluminum ions. The ability to blue or green a hydrangea is also influenced by the cultivar. Some plants are selected because of their ability to be blued, while some are bred and selected to be red, white or pink. The flower color of most other Hydrangea species is not influenced by aluminum and cannot be changed or shifted. Hydrangeas also have a nickname called 'Change Rose'.