Hydrangea

I have always loved Hydrangeas. My Nan and Grandad grew them at the front of their house, and so did my Mom and Dad. It’s amazing how when you see a certain flower they bring back such wonderful, precious memories. Because of my love for the abundance of showy blossoms this popular shrub produces, and because of the fond memories, I have grown Hydrangeas in my garden for some years. Although, for the first time ever, I made the most silly mistake of pruning then at the wrong time so I did not get a single blossom last year. But this year, they are back again, and in splendour.

Here are a few facts about this colourful flowering shrub, some I already knew, and some I didn’t.

Hydrangeas go back a long way, and were here before we were. The oldest fossil finds discovered in America go back 40 to 65 million years ago.
The Chinese and Japanese have been cultivating Hydrangeas for thousands of years.
The first Hydrangeas were introduce to England from North America in 1736, then later from Japan in 1788.
Of course, these are very, very, very thirsty plants. I remember my Dad dousing his in buckets of water in the heat of summer.
I didn’t realise these were poisonous, so no eating them. The buds, flowers and leaves contain a compound known as glycoside amygdalin. It is the amygdalin that has the potential to make hydrangea poisonous, because it can break down to produce cyanide.
The colour of the blooms are affected by the aluminum ions in the soil.
There are around 70 to 75 different species. If only I had a bigger garden to fit them all in!

Rear garden, Staffordshire, England. June 2017.