A Conversation About Hydrangeas

How the Hydrangeas love to show off! August is prime time except for the several other months they can be admired. I always associate August with them because that’s when my Mom always had her birthday picture taken in front of one. I have pictures from the 1930’s of a cute little girl all the way through the 40’s of a beautiful young woman. All are posed in front of this immortal shrub. I made a trip back at the turn of the century and the same plant (or its offspring) is still there, sturdy as ever. In fact, the most common Hydrangeas do bloom around August. I have three types in my yard, two “pass-alongs” from friends. The white fluffy one is the “Annabelle” type and the flat disc-like blue one is a “mountain” type. The third is one of my favorite plants of all. It’s a climbing Hydrangea, also known as anomala. This species name is accurate, since the plant is an anomaly among Hydrangeas because it climbs. This beauty is not for the faint of heart, because it can take years to establish itself and begin to bloom. Mine took six years. So look for the biggest (hence oldest) you can find if you want to cut some time off the wait. They can be expensive, but have many charms. The flowers are a combination of the lacecap-flowered type and the mop head type. They’re each about eight to ten inches across. The vine as it matures has gorgeous, thick trunks so be sure to provide a stout support. The bark of the trunk exfoliates and makes interesting, shaggy multicolored patterns. This adds another ( winter), season of beauty, along with the flowers if you let them dry on the stems. 

The Master Gardener podcast, Nature Calls… Conversations from the Hudson Valley, discusses this particular Hydrangea in episode 36. But for a deeper dive into the huge family of hydrangeas, listen to Episode 46. This is a round table with the entire podcast team weighing in on their favorites, whether lace cap, mop head, or blue or pink or white colored. The Oak Leaf types can have cone shaped flower heads. Different requirements are needed for different types, and there’s always the question of when your particular Hydrangea should be pruned, because some bloom on “old” wood and some on “new”, and some of the newer ones will bloom on both. A variety called Endless Summer reblooms all summer, and others have two seasons of flowering. 

There are a couple of things to remember about the whole fascinating clan of Hydrangeas: 

1. They all require adequate water and they will not thrive in droughty conditions;

2. With many types the flower color can be manipulated for pink or blue by manipulating the soil pH, acid (sulfur) for blue and alkaline (lime) for pink. Once you’ve seen the Hydrangeas at Cape Cod only blue will do;

3. Some will die to the ground every winter, and some are deer candy;

4. All parts of the plant are toxic to pets and people, so act accordingly. This includes the flowers, so when you bring them indoors or use them for decoration, be sure to keep them away from susceptible creatures;

5. They can be addictive. I have three so far, but I’m lusting after a nice Oak Leaf and I could probably make room if somebody were to give me a nice Peegee tree-type.  Just  sayin’.  

August is the biggest demand on the Master Gardener hotline, because everybody has Hydrangea questions. For Greene and Columbia Counties call (518) 828-3346 or email columbiagreenemgv@cornell.edu.  Other counties have CCE Offices, as well.