HYDEANGEA 



BOCKFOIL ORDER 



HYDRANGEA 429 



leaves. Flowers in July and August, 

 white, loofsely arranged on a much- 

 branched scape. 



Culture c(x. as above. 



F. sonchifolta. — A species about 2 ft. 

 high, with short-stallsed leaves, iisually 



decurrent below the basal lobes, 

 riowers in summer, purple or pink, 

 often with a darker blotch near the base 

 of the petals. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased hy 

 seeds or division. 



Tribe III. HYDKANGEa:. Shrubs or trees with opposite, exstipulate, simple leaves. 

 Stamens often epigynous, 8, 10, 12 or more. 



HYDRANGEA. — A genus with over 

 .SO species of deciduous or evergreen shrubs 

 or trees with entire serrate or lobed 

 leaves. Flowers in large terminal 

 corymbs, fertile ones small, sterile ones 

 large and without petals. Petals 4 or 5, 

 valvate. Stamens 8-10. Styles 2-4, free 

 or united at the base. 



Cultwre and Propagation. — In the 

 milder parts of the country, and on rich 

 warm, well-manured loam, IIydra,ngeas 

 grow very well. Cuttings of the young 

 and partially ripened shoots root readily 

 in sandy soil in a shady place in summer 

 or under glass in spring or autumn. Seeds 

 are freely produced by most of the species, 

 and these may be sown in cold frames as 

 soon as ripe. The seedlings will probably 

 not appear till spring, when they may be 

 pricked out into hght rich soil in warm 

 shady positions. 



North of the Thames Valley Hydran- 

 geas can scarcely be regarded as a great 

 success in the outdoor garden, but in 

 Devonshire and Cornwall and the South 

 of Ireland they attain luxuriant propor- 

 tions. Positions which are partially shaded 

 from the hot midday sun suit the plants 

 best. A good mulching of well-rotted 

 manure in autumn or winter will be of the 

 greatest benefit to the plants and enable 

 them to produce masses of fine foliage and 

 blossom every season. The bushy species 

 may be pruned in winter, cutting away 

 the old wood, so that young vigorous 

 shoots may appear in spring. 



Some people are always trying to turn 

 the white flowers blue by the addition of 

 alum, iron &c. to the soil, and there is a 

 great variation in shade owing no doubt 

 to the chemical composition of the soil in 

 which the plants are grown. Indeed the 

 Hydrangeas of the Hortensia type are as 

 variable in the colour of the flowers, 

 although raised from cuttings, as if they 

 were raised from seed. 



H. arborescens. — A N. American shrub 

 4-6 ft. high. Leaves ovate, rather heart- 

 shaped, upper ones lance-shaped, coarsely 



toothed, pale and rather downy beneath. 

 Flowers in summer, white, small, fragrant, 

 nearly all fertile, in flattish corymbs. 



Culture dc. as above. It is not a 

 particularly showy plant owing to the 

 majority of the flowers being fertile or 

 perfect (i.e. having both stamens and 

 pistil). It is, however, interesting as being 

 the first Hydrangea cultivated in British 

 gardens. 



H. aspera. — A hardy Chinese shrub 

 resembling H. paniculata in habit, and 

 having lance-shaped ovate or almost obo- 

 vate tapering leaves, with wavy and 

 serrate margins. The upper surface is 

 green, but the under surface is greyish- 

 green, thickly covered with roughish hairs. 

 The oyines of flowers appear in summer, 

 the sterile ones being large and numerous. 



Culture Ac. as above. 



H. chinensis. — A Chinese shrub 2-6 ft. 

 high, with deeply toothed leaves 3-5 in. 

 long, and small clusters of white flowers 

 in summer. It is closely related to H. 

 virens, but differs in the leaves being 

 green on both sides and in the sepals of 

 the sterile flowers being equal in size, and 

 thicker, almost fleshy in texture. 



Culture d-c. as above. 



H. hirta. — A compact shrub, native of 

 Japan, 3-4 ft. high, with slender hairy 

 branches,. and ovate, serrate. Nettle-like 

 leaves. Flowers in summer, white, 

 numerous, nearlj' all fertile, and borne in 

 terminal cymes 2-3 in. across. Not a 

 showy species. 



Culture dc. as above. 



H. Hortensia (Hortensia opuloides). 

 Abeautiful Chinese shrub 2-.') ft. high, with 

 broadly ovate, pointed, serrated, shining 

 green leaves. Flowers from spring to 

 autumn, white or bluish, in large corymbs 

 or cymes, nearly all sterile, and resem- 

 bling those of the Guelder Eose (p. 410). 



There are numerous fine varieties of 

 this species, the best heing -.—ja^onica, 

 or Lindleyi as it is now called, with 

 white or blue flowers tinged with red 



