French hydrangea profile

French Hydrangea, scientific name Hydrangea macrophylla, is a deciduous shrub or small tree in the honeysuckle family. Leaves are opposite, ovate to ovate elliptic, was a stellate hair. In summer it blooms, flowers on branch apices integrate cymes, margin with white neuter flowers. The flowers are green at first, then white, with a faint fragrance.Because of its shape like hydrangea, hence the name. French Hydrangea originated in central and southwest China, like wet, afraid of drought and waterlogging.F rench Hydrangea is a common garden flower with its snowball-shaped umbrellas surrounded by oval green leaves.

French Hydrangea picture

French Hydrangea origin

French Hydrangea is native to the Yangtze River valley, central and southwest China and Japan, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Morphological characteristics of French Hydrangea

French Hydrangea is a deciduous shrub or small tree, 3 m tall .Branches are open, winter bud bare. Opposite leaves, ovate to ovate-elliptic, dark green surface, abaxial surface is star-shaped pubescent, leaf margin serrate.Summer flowering, flowers on branch apices with large globose cymes, margin with white neuter flowers. The flowering period is April to May, the flower diameter is 18-20 cm, all is sterile. The flowers are green at first, then white, with a faint fragrance. Because of its shape like hydrangea, hence the name.

Leaves are short petiolate, opposite, thickly ovate, smooth, elliptic or broadly ovate, apex acute, 10 -- 25 x 5 -- 10 cm long, margin coarsely serrate. (Find more Climbing Plants with Flowers here.)

Flowers: cymes terminal, globose, densely inflorescence, white, blue, or pink, almost asexual, each flower with 4 to 5 petal calyxes; Petals 4 to 5, small, stamens within 10, pistil extremely degenerate, style 2 to 3.Flowering: May ~ July.

French Hydrangea ecological habit

French Hydrangea likes warm, moist and half shade environments, afraid of drought and waterlogging, not cold resistant. french hydrangea likes fertilizer, live wet, well drained light loam soil, but strong adaptability.

French Hydrangea propagation technology

Common-used cuttings, spindling, lamination and grafting propagation, mainly to cuttings. Cutting can be in the plum rain period, select young mother trees on the robust shoots for cuttings, cuttings base to take section, and with mud, about 20 cm long, remove the lower leaves. Cuttage suitable temperature is 13 ~ 18℃, shading after transplantation, often kept wet, about 15 days to 1 month roots, the second year after survival can be transplanted. propagation by division should be carried out before germination in early spring. Separate the branch that has taken root and the mother plant, directly potted, water should not be too much, maintain in the half shade place, wait for the germination of the new bud and then turn into normal maintenance. Layering propagation can be carried out in the bud germination, 30 days later can grow, the next spring and the mother plant cut off, with soil transplantation, the same year can flower. General spring March to April for high pressure, June to July to take root. At the same time it can be cut off the sub-planting. Grafting propagation uses the Qionghua seedling as rootstock, cut in spring, easy to survive. Transplanting should be carried out after falling leaves or before germination, and should be carried out with lodging. The main branch is easy to germinate long branches, after the flower needs to be properly pruned, to the whole tree shape. (Find more fall plants here.)

French Hydrangea growing management

The optimum temperature for the growth of French Hydrangea is 18 ~ 28℃, and the temperature in winter is not lower than 5℃. Flower bud differentiation needs 6 to 8 weeks at 5 to 7℃, 20℃ can promote flowering, and 16℃ after flowering can prolong the flowering period. But the heat makes the flowers fade quickly. French Hydrangea is a short-day plant, which is treated in darkness for more than 10 hours a day and forms flower buds in about 45 to 50 days. Potted French Hydrangea is usually grown in 15-20cm pots. Potted plants in the spring after germination pay attention to water, to ensure that the leaves do not wither. June ~ July flowering, fertilizer and water to be sufficient, every half a month fertilizing 1 times. Cultivation at ordinary times to avoid the scorching sun irradiation, with 60% ~ 70% shade is the most ideal. The flowering period can be prolonged by proper shading in midsummer when the sunlight is too strong. Remove the flower stem after flowering to encourage the growth of new branches.

Loose, fertile and well-drained sandy loam soil is preferable. But the color of the flower is affected by the soil pH, acid soil flowers are blue, alkaline soil flowers are red. To deepen the blue color, aluminum sulfate can be applied during bud formation. Lime can be applied to the soil to keep it pink. The basin soil should be kept moist, but not too much watering, especially in the rainy season to pay attention to drainage,

Prevent root rot caused by waterlogging.Winter indoor potted with slightly dry as well. Too much moisture makes the leaves perishable. Repot every spring. Proper pruning to keep the plant shape graceful.

Ornamental value of French Hydrangea

French Hydrangea is a common garden flower with its snowball-shaped umbrellas surrounded by oval green leaves. A staple of the summer season, the French Hydrangea is made of flowers that form a ball. The luxuriant, snow pressure tree, fragrance full courtyard. The garden is often planted in the open forest trees, the edge of the road, the entrance to the building, or a few plants planted in a corner of the lawn, or scattered in the evergreen trees are very beautiful.Small courtyard, ding to value, can also be planted alone, wall, window cultivation is also full of interest.

French Hydrangea pest control

There are mainly wilting diseases, powdery mildew and leaf spot disease, with 65% of the wet zinc powder 600 times the spray prevention and control. Insect pest has aphid and blind bug harm, can use 40% oxidized dimethoate emulsion 1500 times liquid spray kill.

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