HYDRANGEA FAMILY 



The general effect of our northern Hydrangea in 

 bloom is a group of strong erect stems, each crowned 

 by a pale, salmon pink cluster, made up of a multitude 

 of tiny blossoms each about an eighth of an inch 

 across. The stamens are exserted, and there are so 

 many of them that in the flower cluster the stamens 

 are much more prominent than the petals. The fra- 

 grance is pleasant, possibly a trifle heavy. The blos- 

 soms open irregularly, so that for some time any 

 cluster will have a goodly number of buds mingled 

 with the open flowers. While the flower cluster does 

 not reach the regulation standard of an hydrangea, a 

 standard based upon the abnormal development of 

 sterile flowers in our cultivated species, nevertheless it 

 does come up to no mean measure of beauty. Now 

 and then a cluster shows a few marginal sterile flow- 

 ers after the fashion of Viburnum opulus, but it rarely 

 wastes its vitality in that way ; its fragrance and pollen 

 are ample resources to attract its insect friends. 



Our favorite, hardy, garden Hydrangea is Hydrangea 

 paniculata grandiflora, a species developed by the 

 Japanese from their wild form, Hydrangea paniculata. 

 It is, indeed, a superb plant. The panicles are of enor- 

 mous size and of great beauty ; in the best known form 

 all the flowers are sterile. They run through a charm- 

 ing range of color: pale green, cream white, pale pink 

 and lastly dull red. As this magnificent bloom appears 

 in August and does not complete its color scheme 

 until October, then remains upon the branches until 

 beaten off by the storms of winter, there are definite 

 and sufficient reasons for the popularity of the bush. 



In southern Japan the shrub becomes a tree twenty- 



2IO 



