for ^oi ember. l<)2i) 



369 



Hydrangeas 



ARBORUM AMATOR 



HYDRAXCIEAS are natives of Japan and China, 

 Java, the Himalayas, and the United States. There 

 are abon: thirty species, but about ten onl)- of these 

 with their several varieties are in use as ornamental 

 flowering shrubs. Of these ten the species [>anicitlata and 

 its variety graiiditlora, both hardy, are the only Hydran- 

 geas commonly used in lawn, garden, and landscape 

 planting, and these on account of their many meritorious 

 qualities are planted in very large numbers. 



Two General Divisions. — Hydrangeas may be divided 

 into two sections, the hardy and the half-hardy. The 

 hardy species and varieties may be used through a wide 

 range of latitude in permanent plantings, but the half- 

 hardv or tender s|)ecies and their varieties can be used 

 in ]jermanent outdoor ]>lanting onl\- where the winter 

 temperature is comjjaratively mild. 



The Hardy Foreign Species. — About forty years ago 

 Hydrangea panieidata was brought into the United States 

 from Japan, and later its larger flowered variety, grandi- 

 flora. These are the hardiest of all the Hydrangeas. They 

 usually attain a height of six to eight feet, but are easily 

 kept lower by ])runing, which they bear well ; sometimes 

 they reach a height of twenty to thirty feet in rich soil 

 and favorable locations. The white flowers, mostly sterile, 

 of panicuhUa appear in ten to tw^elve inch long, erect, 

 plume-like panicles, in early .\ugust, and turning from 

 the creamy color, which they have at their opening, gradu- 

 ally to a greenish white v^'ell overspread with a red shade, 

 continue to be ol>jects of beauty well into the Autuiun. 

 The variety granditlora has the same habit of growth and 

 bloom, and period of flowering as paniculafa. but its 

 drooping panicles of flowers are luuch longer, often 

 twelve to eighteen inches. There are three other varieties 

 of paniculafa no one of these supierior to grandiflora, but 

 interesting in a collection : these are tardiva. later flower- 

 ing, but in other respects like the species ; prcccu.v, nearly 

 like the S]jecies and Horibmida. bearing more nuiuerous 

 and larger panicles than the species. 



There is a s]U'cies from Northern China named 

 Bretschneidcri. This is not new. but is not often seen, 

 and is deserving of a larger use. This species is very 

 floriferous, extremely hardy, and the earliest of all to 

 bk)om, its cymes of flowers opening in early June. This 

 is regarded by many the most beautiful of all the hardy 

 Hydrangeas. 



I'estita puhescens is a prettv llimalavan species of 

 dwarfish ,growth attaining a height of onlv five feet l)ut 

 having a breadth greater than its height. This also is an 

 early flowering species, producing in June luany cymes of 

 sterile flowers, at first white, but later changing to rose- 

 color and continuing to be in attractive condition well into 

 the .Autunm. It is perfectly hardy in Xew ICnghuid and 

 New N'ork. 



TIte Hardy Native Species. — Hydrangea arboresccns is 

 a native shrub found from New Jersey to Iowa and south- 

 ward to l^'lorida. It is of erect growth. The period of its 

 blooming is June and July when it bears cymes of mostly 

 perfect flowers. Far more showy is stcrilis, a variety of 

 arboresccns whose flowers are mostly sterile, and which 

 is commonly called Mountain of Snow. This variety or 

 sport of arboresccns was found growing wild in the moun- 

 tains of Pennsylvania. The extreme hardiness of this 

 variety, which is said to be able to withstand a tempera- 

 ture of thirty degrees below zero, makes it suitable for 

 ]il;inting in the colder parts of our country. 



The leaves of most Hydrangeas have the same shape, 

 but the species qucrcifolia is so called because it has oak- 

 shaped foliage. This native species is found growing wild 

 from Kentucky to Alabama. It reaches a height of about 

 six feet, and has a spreading form. In June on the ends 

 of its tomentose branches there appear pinkish-white 

 flowers which later assume a purple shade of color. The 

 rich colors of the oak-shaped foliage of this species in the 

 Autumn are very eft'ective and add to its value. It is 

 hardy as far north as Philadelphia, and even farther in 

 protected locations, and its value as an ornamental flower- 

 ing shrub is still further enhanced because it grows 

 vigorotisly in seaside gardens. 



Radiata, a third native species is found growing wild 

 from North Carolina to Missouri and south to Georgia, 

 but is hardy as fat"- north as Philadelphia. This species, 

 quite siiuilar to arhoresceiis, hears cvmes of flowers, all 

 sterile, in June and July. 



More recently two new varieties of our native species 

 have been introduced, both hard}'. One of these two is 

 ciuerca stcrilis, a variety of radiata, and the other grandi- 

 flora alba, a variety of arboresccns; the first is known as 

 Teas' Snowliall Hydrangea. Both of these newer and 

 very desirable native varieties produce in July, before 

 paniculafa, and its variety grandiflora begin to bloom, 

 large heads of white flowers. 



Sonic Uses of Hardy Hydrangeas. — Large groups of 

 Hardy Hydrangeas on lawns with large areas, and 

 smaller groups on those of lesser size, of a foriu which 

 harmonizes with the contour of the lawn, and properly 

 located are very eft'ective not so much as foliage shrubs 

 as because of their luagnificence of bloom dtiring Mid- 

 Summer and early Autuiun. Equally useful are they in 

 corner groups on each side of the entrance of drives and 

 walks leading into the home ground, or in the foreground 

 of larger shrubs and trees. Small groups of the .bush 

 form or single specimens of the tree form placed at proper 

 intervals are excelleiU for outlining walks through law^ns. 

 The species paniculafa luay be used to form a deciduous 

 hedge, and answers the purpose very well, if kept severely 

 ]jruned. Well grown single specimens of either the bush 

 or tree form are efl'ective on lawns of (|uitc limited area 

 in front yards. 



Soil. Location and Culture. — Hydrangeas thrive best in 

 a moderately luoist, well drained, rich, porous soil. The 

 soil around these should be worked shallow, and a gen- 

 erous application of pure ground bone worked into it two 

 or three times yearly. Free waterings just before, and 

 throughout the bloom-ing season are very beneficial. 

 Hydrangeas make a larger growth in a partly shaded lo- 

 cation, hut bloom more freely in the unbroken sunlight, 

 if watered alnmdaiUly, 



Pruning and Propagation. — Pruning should be done 

 after the shrubs become donuant during the Winter. The 

 strong canes should be cut back to one to three pairs of 

 buds, and the weak shoots removed entirely. The smaller 

 the number of buds, the larger the blooms. For propaga- 

 tion these stronger canes may be cut into pieces about six 

 inches long, tied into bundles and placed upright in boxes 

 of ])ure sand, deep enough so that only one pair of eves 

 come above the sand. The sand should then be wet 

 thoroughly froiu top to bottom, and the boxes placed in 

 a cool cellar or ])it till Spring, when they should be set 

 out about six inches apart in rows in the garden to the 

 same de])th which they were in the sand. They will 

 tuake good sized l)n--hes in two seasons. Another wav 



