Bulbs

Hydrangea Macrophylla is by far the most common variety of Hydrangea cultivated for color and landscape use. It is also called "Bigleaf Hydrangea" and "French Hydrangea". Hydrangea Macrophylla is hardy in zones 6 through 9.

Growth Habits: Hydrangea Macrophylla is a decidious shrub that will usually grow about 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Some cultivars of Hydrangea macrophylla can grow as tall as 10-12 feet in height.

Sunlight and Exposure: This plant prefers partial or full shade and seems to do best in locations that have morning sun and afternoon shade. Spots that have full afternoon sun with high accompanying temperatures should be avoided.

Water requirements: Because Bigleaf Hydrangea have such large leaf surfaces, they like (and require) a regular supply of water. The plant performs best in well drained soil that contains organic matter or humus. In short, the plant likes moist rather than dry soil but does not like soil that pools water or does not allow that water to drain away. Plan on deep watering the plant about once a week.

Flowers: Hydrangeas are usually planted because of the flowers they produce. There are many different cultivars available but they generally fall into one of two categories. Hortensias are Hydrangeas that have large, rounded, showy flower heads. Lacecaps are Hydrangeas that have flat showy clusters of flowers in a ring around a center of small, bead-like flowers.

Hydrangea Macrophylla flowers are usually blue, white or pink or some slight variation of those colors. Some of the most common varieties will have the color influenced by the ph of the soil. Blue flowers are usually the result of acidic soil, white flowers are from neutral soil and pink flowers result from alkaline soils. Not every cultivar reacts in this way.

Pruning: Hydrandea Macrophylla should be pruned once flowering has finished. Pruning is done for plant vigor and overall shape rather than to control plant size.

Pruning within the first two weeks after flowering will allow time for the stems to grow and harden. Since most cultivars of Hydrangea Macrophylla bloom from the previous year's growth ("old wood"), this will help with flowering the following year. Most authorities use August 1st as the last date for pruning but this must certainly be influence by the area in which you live and the amount of growing season that remains.

Remove all dead or broken stems when pruning the plant. You can reinvigorate mature plants by pruning some of the branches back to ground level. Do not remove more than 1/3 of the branches of any single plant. The pruned plant will normally grow and bloom with a great deal more vigor the following year. Pruning the plant to control size is almost a lost cause with Bigleaf Hydrangea. In most cases, the pruned plant will return to it's previous size rather quickly.

Removing spent blooms is not the same as pruning. 'Deadheading' can be done at any time.

Propogation: Bigleaf Hydrangea can be propogated rather easily. You can either take cuttings and start new plants from them or you can create new plants by laying a branch that is still attached to a parent plant and bending it so that a portion of the stem is buried. The growth end of the branch should be left above ground so that it can continue to grow. A small band of the outer bark should be removed from the portion of the stem area that is going to be buried. New roots will form in the buried area of the stem. Once the new plant is well established, the branch segment that connects the original plant from the child can be cut. You may wish to use root stimulator on the cuttings or on the area where the bark is removed in order to speed the development of new roots.