Japanese Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas form an integral part of the spring holidays. Many growers produce and are familiar with the common Hydrangea macrophylla hybrids, and some are also producing lace cap types for spring sales. However, there is a newer group of hybrids that have received little attention; those are the hybrids of H. macrophylla and H. serrata. These newer forms offer different flower types and some foliage color options as well.

My experiences with the newer hybrids began back in 1998 when my family reunion was held in Colorado. I went to the grocery store to buy flowers for our condominium and discovered a series of lace cap hydrangeas with a totally different flower form that I had never seen before. I have since seen these hybrids in all shades of white, blue, mauve and pink. The impact of these hybrids was so strong I packed the plants into my suitcase and brought them back to Florida as mementos, they are still living, though the colors have changed with their establishment in the Florida landscape.

I made a similar discovery this past year during the holiday season; I was searching for something other than a poinsettia to put around my tree. (Not that I have anything against poinsettias mind you, but it is just so "red" everywhere at that time of year.) Anyway . . . I was looking for a break from tradition when I stumbled into my local grocery store for a holiday beverage and discovered some of the new Japanese hydrangea hybrids on display. Numerous thoughts crossed my mind including: "Is this a hydrangea or a Clerodendrum? -- how have I missed this development in breeding? -- I'm taking all of them," and finally, "Is it red or white wine that goes with pork?"

In the end, I did take every last one of the plants on display, paid $19 a pop for the privilege and mixed them with 'Carousel' poinsettias in front of a picture window. It was the closest thing to a classy statement I made in all of last year. So, though this article is about hydrangeas , you really need to consider growing them as a winter crop as well as Carousel and 'Cortez Burgundy' next year.

In both cases mentioned above, the hydrangeas I found came from a nursery called Hana Bay Flowers marketed through Bay City Flower Co. in Half Moon Bay, Calif. I was hoping to get a chance to visit Bay City on my Pack Trial trip but unfortunately couldn't get there during business hours. Bay City offers both finished and pre-finished hydrangeas.

Japanese releases

These Japanese releases will change the way you view this crop, as they do not look like the old-fashioned, pompom forms, and while the foliage is similar, the newer lace cap hybrids and star-shaped flowered forms are very unique. The effect is more graceful and more of a novelty than the standard flowering forms. There is also a lot of color bending in the new cultivars, with more red tones and red tones blended into the traditional white, pink and blue we think of when we think of florist hydrangeas. The reason I wanted to raise awareness of these hybrids is two fold. First, as with many flowering potted plants, hydrangeas have gotten locked into the Easter/Mother's Day market and deserve more attention throughout the year. Secondly, the new cultivars offer retailers and wholesalers a great opportunity in novelty flowering crops with a higher profit margin.

Recently, I met Tim Wood of Spring Meadow Nursery, and we looked over his catalog of hydrangea cultivars, which are predominantly for the landscape industry. The selection of new forms is amazing. Tim had a short list of these new varieties for growers to experiment with that include Hydrangea macrophylla and Hydrangea serrata cultivars. While some taxonomists merge these two species, they can still be found separated in the trade. So don't be surprised to see them listed separately in catalogs. Also the original Japanese names are often converted into American names in the United States, so you may find some cultivars offered under different names. This practice is common when new crops enter our market and are released.

Hydrangea serrata

'Kiyosumi'. White flowered, lace cap form with some red around margins of florets. The new vegetative growth has a deep red flush, adding another layer to the interest of the plant.

'Midoriboshi-Temari'. This is a pink lace cap form, but the outer double florets have very long pedicels, so they hang elegantly downwards. This is the growth Á form I find so interesting and distinctively different from the hydrangeas we have become accustomed to.

'Miyama yea Muraski'. Double violet to pink florets on bright green foliage. This plant bends the colors we are used to in hydrangeas and also has an excellent form.

'Shirofuji'. Double white masses of florets cover the plants. A very nice, low, mounding habit when planted in the landscape.

Hydrangea macrophylla

'Izu No Hana'. Lace cap type with double pink sterile florets and rounded petals surrounding the central "lace cap." Hard not to think of fireworks when you see this plant, as the florets point outward and create the illusion of an expanding flower mass.

'Jogasaki'. Similar to Izu No Hana, but the color is a bit more silvery, and florets have slightly fewer petals -- between eight and 11 per floret. Flowers face up a bit more and create a different effect than that of Izu No Hana.

Author's Note: There are somewhere around six major genera of hydrangeas used in the United States. Some are suited for pot culture and others are not. I know there are many other suppliers of finished and pre-finished hydrangeas. I would like to include those in a sidebar next month, so please E-mail me if you would like to be listed. Include in your E-mail contact information and a listing of the cultivars you supply.