Hydrangea
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- hy-DRAN-jee-ah
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
The genus name comes from the Greek word hydor, meaning water, and aggeion, meaning vessel, which refers to the fruit capsule.
Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs with flowers in terminal, round or umbrella-shaped clusters in colors of white, pink, or blue, or even purple. If they flower blue, your soil is acidic (having less than 5.5 pH) and if they bloom pink, your soil is alkaline (higher than 6.5 pH). If your soil is between acidic and alkaline, then you will probably have purple flowers.
Hydracyanosides, a group of toxic cyanogenic glycosides, have been isolated from the leaves of Hydrangea macrophylla. The occurrence of these toxins throughout the genus is poorly known, so other species of Hydrangea should be treated with caution and not consumed.
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Floricyle Foundation Planting: Back of House Juniper Level Botanic Gardens: Muscadine Bed Coastal Shade Garden A Sampling of Shade Gardens
- Cultivars / Varieties:
- H. anomala subsp. Petiolaris, H. arborescens, H. macrophylla, H. paniculata, H. quercifolia, H. serrata
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
- H. anomala subsp. Petiolaris, H. arborescens, H. macrophylla, H. paniculata, H. quercifolia, H. serrata
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Hydrangea
- Family:
- Hydrangeaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- USA, Asia
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Mounding
- Multi-stemmed
- Rounded
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Occasionally Wet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Less than 1/2", oval, capsule, shaped like a cup, dry and hard. Winged seeds insdie.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Corymb
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Good Cut
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Cross
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Terminal, round or umbrella-shaped corymb clusters in colors of white, pink, or blue (or sometimes purple). Flowers are 4- 5-parted. The sterile flowers (around the margin or the entire cluster) are much enlarged. Bloom time varies per type but generally blooming falls between spring to fall.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Insignificant
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Margin:
- Lobed
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are opposite, simple, stalked, pinnate venation, 4"-8" in long, toothed and sometimes lobed.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Bark Description:
- Not particularly showy
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Houseplants
- Naturalized Area
- Walkways
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Cottage Garden
- Cutting Garden
- English Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Pollinators
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- Only H. macrophylla is known to be toxic. TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN. Nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and sweating.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- hydracyanosides (cyanogenic glycosides).
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Bark
- Flowers
- Leaves
- Stems
