The Hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.), are ornamental shrubs from East and South Asia and America. It is a very striking plant due to its spectacular inflorescence, its color and grace with which it adorns the corner or garden where it is cultivated. However, in some cultures hydrangeas have a meaning opposite to their beauty. If you want to know more, I invite you to continue reading.
Origin of Hydrangeas
The generic name of Hydrangeas is Hydrangea, of which there are about 40 accepted species, which come from the east and south of the Asian continent, even more specifically from China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and the Himalayas; as well as the American continent. Their life forms are shrubs, low trees and lianas up to 30 meters long. They can be found in nature and cultivated in many countries with temperate climates. Cultivated Hydrangeas have deciduous leaves.
History of these plants
According to the discovery of these flowers, they are related to the voyages of European ships to the American continent. As it relates to the King of France, Louis XIV, who ordered his subjects to bring them flowers of species different from those known at the time, to adorn the palace gardens. In order to carry out the king's orders, the subjects traveled to Brazil in order to find plants that the king liked.
Among the ship's crew was the cabin boy named Banet, who stood out from the rest of the crew because his appearance was fragile and weak. When they arrived in the New World, in an altercation with the natives of the American lands, they captured the fragile cabin boy Banet. After a time of searching and clashes with the American tribes, the European crew managed to rescue the young cabin boy.
Upon rescuing the cabin boy Banet, the European men were surprised to realize that Banet was a woman, that in order to be part of the crew of the European ship and live the adventure, she knew the American lands. When the king learned of this stowaway woman, who pretended to be a young man named Banet, he wanted to recognize her bravery by naming one of the species brought from the New World, with the name of Hortensia.
Meanings of Hydrangeas
In ancient times, flowers were given different meanings, because it was the way they communicated in the society of yesteryear. Hydrangeas flowers did not escape from this, which according to the legend of its origin, the meaning of its name is related to femininity and reserve, in turn with fragility and weakness. With the passing of time, the meaning of Hydrangeas varies according to color.
White Hydrangeas, according to their meaning, are interpreted and related to peace, purity, gentleness and elegance. Pink Hydrangeas, on her part, are associated with her to convey the message of love, enthusiasm, courtship and eroticism. Purple hydrangeas relate it to prosperity and abundance. As well as elegance, sobriety, good taste and sophistication. Finally, the blue Hydrangeas interpret it with harmony and friendship.
Features
The cultivated hydrangea plants have a bushy growth habit, they have deciduous leaves, large and oval in shape with a pointed apex, when they bloom the color of the floral bracts are green and when they mature they vary to different colors such as white. , pink, blue and purple. Hydrangeas with inflorescences in the form of large pompoms of pink and bluish colors are usually observed.
Its flowers are small and are grouped in species of pompoms called corymbs, which is what makes these plants attractive. They are plants that require good sunlight and for this reason they are indicated for growing outside the house, in gardens, terraces, although it is suggested that they be grown near larger trees or structures so that they filter sunlight during daylight hours. noon. In places with a temperate climate, they resist low temperatures in the winter season.
Description
Hydrangeas inflorescences are found at the ends of their stems, they emerge in the spring season and remain alive until the end of the autumn season. In the inflorescences they are grouped in terminal corymbs in which the tiny real flowers of the Hydrangeas grow, with their modified bracts that surround each flower and have different colors from white, pink, purple and blue.
The plant grows as a deciduous shrub, because it loses its leaves at a certain time of the year, its size varies between 1 to 3 meters high. Its simple leaves are opposite, oval, with jagged edges and acuminate, their average length is between 7 and 20 centimeters. Its flowers are of diverse colors such as white, pink, blue and purple. Hydrangeas bloom between the spring and summer seasons.
The color variation of Hydrangeas is directly associated with the abundance of "aluminum sulfate" molecules in the soil, which is what determines the pH of the soil. If the pH is neutral to alkaline or basic, it means that it contains little aluminum, this allows the formation of pink flowers. With soils that have a pH = 5,5 or less, they indicate that they have a large amount of "aluminum sulfate, causing the flowers to be bluish in color. On the other hand, the plants that bloom white are not determined by the pH value of the soil.
This plant-soil relationship allows you to play horticulturally with the colors of the Hydrangea flowers. According to the color of the flower you want to grow, you add fertilizers with different chemical formulas. That is, if you want to grow hydrangeas with pink flowers, apply fertilizers with more nitrogen and phosphorus and less potassium. On the other hand, if you are looking for a colorful blue bloom, apply a fertilizer with a higher amount of potassium.
Taxonomy
The gender Hydrangea Carlos Linnaeus described them for the first time, who published it in 1753 in Species Plantarum 1: 397. 1753. The compound term Hydrangea, It comes from the Greek words that mean “water” and “vase”, or “glass of water”, due to the characteristics of its cup-shaped capsules. Some 43 species have been described and accepted to belong to the genus Hydrangea. Some accepted species are listed.
- anomalous hydrangea Himalayas, Southeast China
- hydrangea arborescens Eastern North America
- Rough Hydrangea. China, Himalayas.
- Hydrangea bretschneideri. China.
- hydrangea candida. China.
- hydrangea caudatifolia. China.
- hydrangea chinensis. China.
- Hydrangea chungii. China.
- hydrangea cinerea Eastern United States.
- coacta hydrangea. China.
- Hydrangea coenobialis. China.
- Hydrangea davidii. China.
- hydrangea dumicola. China.
- Hydrangea gracilis. China.
- Hydrangea heteromesh. Himalayas, China.
- hirta hydrangea. Japan.
- Hydrangea hypoglauca. China.
- Hydrangea integrifolia. China.
- Hydrangea implicata. Japan and Taiwan.
- Hydrangea kawakamii. Taiwan.
- Hydrangea kwangsiensis. China.
- Hydrangea kwangtungensis. China.
- Hydrangea lingii. China.
- Hydrangea linkweiensis. China.
- hydrangea longifolia. China.
- Hydrangea longipes. West China.
- Hydrangea macrocarpa. China.
- Hydrangea macrophylla South Japan and Korea.
- Hydrangea mangshanensis. China.
- Hydrangea paniculata China, Japan, Korea, Sakhalin.
- hydrangea petiolaris Japan, Korea, Sakhalin.
- hydrangea quercifolia U.S.
- radiata hydrangea U.S.
- robust hydrangea. China, Himalayas.
- sargentian hydrangea. West China.
- hydrangea scandens. Japan and south to the Philippines.
- hydrangea serrata. Japan and Korea.
- hydrangea serratifolia. Chile and Argentina.
- Hydrangea stenophylla. China.
- hydrangea strigosa. China.
- hydrangea stylosa. China.
- hydrangea sungpanensis. China.
- Hydrangea xanthoneura. China.
- Hydrangea zhewanensis. China.
Care and Propagation
Since ancient times, the hydrangea plant has been cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant due to its striking inflorescence, in Japan and from the XNUMXth century, its cultivation was extended to other countries with a temperate climate. The most cultivated species of Hydrangea on the planet is the H.macrophylla, for being the most widespread and naturalized species of Hydrangea of all the species of the Hydrangea genus. This species has about 600 cultivars.
Before planting the Hydrangeas, the definitive location of the plants must be selected. Well, a bad location of the plants can lead to little growth and few flowers are born and its flowers are fragile, instead if you select a good place you will have beautiful well-formed Hydrangeas plants with beautiful and abundant flowers.
It should be noted that hydrangeas have to grow in a place with good sunlight, however, precautions must be taken, such as: planting the plants in a place with good light and that the sun's rays do not reach them as strongly. This affects their growth. In case you plant it in a place where little light reaches it, it will produce few flowers and it will be a small plant. This means that the Hydrangeas have to be planted in a place with enough light but that does not reach it directly.
When selecting the planting site, in principle choose a place where the Hydrangea plants develop without affecting the growth and development of their roots, that is, that their space is sufficient for it to grow well. The soil where the Hydrangeas are planted must be a soil with good drainage and not so clayey or silty. It has to be planted at the beginning of the summer season or at the end of the autumn season.
planting soil
The soil of the planting place must be slightly acidic, so that the plant grows well and does not wither quickly. Hydrangea plants must be fertilized frequently to have a good flowering. To know if the plant absorbs nutrients well, observe the color of its flowers, to see if the color of the flowers is defined and bright, if so, it is possible that they are well nourished.
If Hydrangea plants are grown in very alkaline soils, they find it difficult to absorb iron from the soil and the plants begin to suffer from iron deficiency, causing chlorosis in their leaves. Fertilizer with iron is applied to improve iron absorption.
Pruning
To maintain its shape and balance its weight, it is suggested to prune its stems frequently. This practice will prevent the bush from growing too much and due to the weight of its stems, they bend and break. In some varieties only the old stems flower and those stems that grow after pruning will flower in the next cycle.
when to water
During the spring and summer seasons, hydrangea plants have to be watered frequently and with plenty of water, so that the soil remains moist, as long as it does not get waterlogged. In the same way, it is suggested to spray with non-calcareous water, in this way an adequate environment is created for the growth of Hydrangea plants. Although it likes a humid environment, you have to be aware that if the environment is very humid, it may favor the development of fungi and parasites.
Reproduction
Hydrangea plants generally reproduce asexually, by means of stakes or cuttings cut from the branches after flowering, in the autumn and spring seasons. For the plant to take root well, the stakes must be placed in a place with partial shade, high humidity, well-drained soil to avoid flooding and very cold temperatures.
Plague and illness management
The red spider and aphids are the pests of the Hydrangea plants that affect it the most, which can be controlled by applying acaricides and insecticides. Hydrangeas are frequently attacked by fungi, called powdery mildew, when you see leaves damaged by this fungus and any other, it is suggested to remove the diseased leaves, and treat them with fungicides to heal the plants. Just as I remove the leaves, it is recommended to remove the withered or dead flowers because they are possible hosts of fungi and bacteria, which will make the plant sick.
Other cultural practices
In addition to the above cultural practices, fertilizer or manure has to be applied during the flowering stage. Likewise, after the flowering season has passed, in order to stimulate the growth and development of new stems and balance the weight of the plant, a training pruning is carried out.
It is suggested to use stakes to help the good growth of the new stems. You have to be careful with irrigation, neither too abundant nor failing by default, if you water too little, the flowers dry up and wither before their time. Remember these Hydrangea plants, they grow well in moist, well-drained soil. Although Hydrangeas grow in cold climates, they must be protected in the winter season from sudden temperature changes and strong breezes and winds.
Uses of Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas plants since ancient times have been used as ornamental plants to beautify gardens. They are also used as flowers for bridal bouquets and natural Hydrangeas plants have been preserved for some time because they last longer. As well as these uses, there are also others.
smoke your flowers
In countries like Germany and France, they have taken the modality of smoking its petals for having hallucinogenic effects, under its effects consumers see objects different from the existing ones and are more sensitive to sounds. These are very dangerous habits because burning Hydrangeas produces hydrocyanic acid, which is very toxic.
preserved hydrangeas
Due to their great demand in certain florists and commercial gardening houses, they offer preserved natural Hydrangeas. This horticultural treatment serves to maintain the natural characteristics and textures of the plant for longer and is specific to its flowers. Its maintenance is low and people like it in view that they are used to make floral compositions with natural and beautiful flowers. They are used for bridal bouquets, also to decorate romantic and delicate environments. There are different preserved Hydrangeas flowers, some of these are:
Premium. Premium Hydrangeas have very bright and attractive colors. With its different meanings. The colors of the Premium Preserved Hydrangeas are white, pink, green, lilac, red and pastel blue.
The Standard preserved Hydrangeas are of different green colors and also brown, blue, dark pink and red. There are the Bicolor Natural Preserved Hydrangeas, they are natural plants with different colors in their flowers. Mix red, pink and blue colors.
Medicinal use
Hydrangeas is a plant that is very attractive to humans due to its beautiful inflorescence and especially its arrangement in floral pompoms of bright colors, white, bluish, pink and purple that even if you have the knowledge and proper practice you can change the year. in year, according to the dose of fertilizer and type that is applied that varies the pH of the soil where it is grown. In addition to these cultural practices and that improves its ornamental use, the Hydrangea has also had medicinal use since ancient times.
The use of this plant for medicinal purposes was exploited by the ancient Chinese and in North America by ancient tribes. According to research, the roots of Hydrangeas plants have anti-inflammatory powers, as well as other properties that improve the functioning of the immune system. In addition to the above, the Hydrangea plant helps prevent and expel kidney stones due to its diuretic effect that helps to urinate better.
Curiosities of Hydrangeas
Hydrangea plants since ancient times have had a link with humanity, embellishing gardens, having various meanings that may or may not be true. Likewise, Hydrangeas are one of the few plants whose flower color is determined by the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Hydrangeas with blue flowers are achieved with a soil with a lot of acidity, and those with pink colors with a slight acidity of the soil.
The flowering of the Hydrangea plant practically takes place throughout the year, since it begins to bloom in March, during the spring season and continues until September and even after the end of this month and into the autumn season.
If you want your Hydrangeas flowers to last longer, prune or cut some bouquets of their flowers and place them in a vase or flowers with water, you will see how their flowers last for a long time with their fresh appearance.
Like many plants, Hydrangeas are not suitable for human consumption, especially their petals, because they are poisonous. So be careful with children and young people.
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