Botanical name of Hydrangea is Hydrangea macrophylla and belongs to Hydrangeaceae family. Hydrangea is a native of Japan and Korea. It grows best in temperate climate. I have been successful in growing them in Bangalore and Mysore and found in abundance in all the hill stations of India. These are grown for the attractive flowers to beautify the garden.
It is big deciduous shrub and grows to a height of 6 to 8 feet. The branches are many and depends on how you prune the plant. The leaves are dark green, opposite, and huge.
Flowers bloom in big foot ball size and shape clusters.
There are few flowers in the cluster, which do not bloom and stay small.
They come in many pastel shades like mauve, lavender, blue, pink, and white. The flowers change color from dark to light shade until they fall off the plant.
There are around 600 named cultivars of Hydrangeas. Hydrangea root and rhizome is used to treat many ailments.
Propagation:
Propagation is from the rhizome or cuttings. Plant them in semi-shade and prune when necessary.
