Hydrangea Pics: hydrangeawhite.jpg

Hydrangea (/ha?'dre?nd?i?/;common names hydrangea or hortensia) is a genus of 70-75 types of flowering crops local to southern and eastern Asia (China, Japan, Korea, the Himalayas, and Indonesia) and the Americas. Definitely the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Japan, and Korea. The majority are shrubs 1 to 3 meters large, but some are small trees, while others lianas getting up to 30 m (98 ft) by climbing up trees and shrubs. They can be either evergreen or deciduous, although cultivated temperate types are deciduous widely.Having been introduced to the Azores, H. macrophylla is very common now, on Faial particularly, which is recognized as the "blue island" due to the multitude of hydrangeas present on the island.Life cycleHydrangea flowers are produced from planting season to late fall; they develop in flowerheads (corymbs or panicles) frequently at the ends of the stems.

Usually the flowerheads contain two types of blooms: small non-showy blossoms in the center or interior of the flowerhead, and large, showy plants with large colorful sepals (tepals). These showy flowers tend to be expanded in a engagement ring, or to the exterior of the small flowers. Plants in wild populations typically have few to none of the showy plants, while cultivated hydrangeas have been chosen and bred to have significantly more of the larger type bouquets.There are two flower arrangements in hydrangeas with Corymb style inflorescens, which includes the commonly grown "bigleaf hydrangea"--Hydrangea macrophylla. Mophead flowers are large rounded flowerheads resembling pom-poms or, as the name means, the comparative head of any mop. In contrast, lacecap flowers bear round, flat flowerheads with a center core of subdued, small flowers surrounded by outer rings of larger flowers having showy sepals or tepals.

The bouquets of some rhododendrons and viburnums can seem, at first glance, similar to those of some hydrangeas.Colors and garden soil acidityIn most kinds the blossoms are white, but in some species (notably H. macrophylla), can be blue, red, red, light purple, or dark purple. In these types the color is afflicted by the existence of aluminum ions which can be found or tangled up depending after the land pH. For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will supply aluminum ions and produce flowers that are blue to purple typically, whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminum ions and bring about pink or red flowers.

This is the effect of a color change of the rose pigments in the occurrence of aluminium ions which is often taken up into hyperaccumulating plant life.[6] Bringing down the pH of potting soils or mixes usually does not change the flower color to blue, because these soils have no aluminum ions. The ability to blue or pink a hydrangea is inspired by the cultivar also. Some plants are selected for his or her ability to be blued, while some are bred and selected to be red, white or pink. The flower color of all other Hydrangea species is not damaged by aluminum and cannot be changed or shifted. Hydrangeas also have a nickname called 'Change Rose'.