General Description/History

Hydrangea has long been a popular garden flower and is valued as a cut flower for its unusual colour mix of pink and blue. Flowerheads are made up of many small star-shaped flowers arranged to form a large dome shape. Flower colour varies from white, pink, red or purple to green or pale blue and can often be a mixture of several of these colours. Colour is dependent on the pH of the soil in which the plant is growing – acid soils produce blue flowers, neutral soils produce very pale cream petals, and alkaline soils result in pink or purple.

Of the over 100 species of Hydrangea only two are used as cut flowers: H. macrophylla which is the most commonly used and forms rounded flowerheads, and H. paniculata which has pyramid-shaped flowerheads.

Hydrangeas are all grown outdoors in the field, mostly in the southern states and Queensland.

Types: H. macrophylla, H. paniculata

Language: ‘ambitious’, ‘thanks for being understanding’.

What to look for

• Fully open flowers;
• Avoid bunches with brown flowers.

Flower Care

1. Keep cool at all times.
2. Strip leaves from the lower half of each stem.
3. Recut at least 2 cm off each stem with sharp secateurs and place in water immediately.
4. Never bash or split stems.
5. Preservative is essential.
6. Replace water every day.
7. Hydrangeas make great dried flowers. Use a diluted glycerine solution, or simply place in @ 3 cm of water and do not add extra water. Keep away from bright light as this will cause colour fade.

Botanical Name: Hydrangea macrophylla, H. paniculata

Common Names: Hydrangea

Stem Length: 30 to 70 cm

Country of Origin: Japan, China

Available Colours: Blue, Green, Pink, Purple, Red, White

Season: Summer,Autumn,Spring

Availability: January,February,March,April,November,Decemeber