Home - Flowers - What Is A French Hydrangea ( Bigleaf ) And How To Care For It

The French hydrangea is one of the most common varieties of hydrangea . This is also known as the bigleaf hydrangea and hydrangea macrophylla , and is one of the main4 hydrangea form .

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2 of the most uncouth types of Gallic hydrangeas let in themophead hydrangeaand thelacecap hydrangea . This is the most common hydrangea to see in a garden , because of it ’s striking bloom header and color .

Related : Mophead Hydrangea , Lacecap Hydrangea

The French hydrangea is a bush that , with the right context , will be covered in their flower heads from summer until fall .

As this is a bigleaf hydrangea , it is distinguishable by the big leaves that produce to about 6 inches long . It is also one of the honest-to-goodness Sir Henry Wood hydrangeas , which means that the efflorescence bloom on stems that were there the former winter , rather than fresh increment ( keep reading for more information on pruning ! )

Why’s It Called The French Hydrangea?

It would make sense if the Gallic hydrangea was name after where it is native to , but it actually originates from Japan . Most hydrangeas are aboriginal toJapan and parts of Asia .

This hydrangea variety became very popular in France in the late 1700 ’s which is where this name come from .

Color Varieties

One reason why this variety show of hydrangea is so wildly democratic is because of the spectacular color alternative of this prime , and how you may in reality change the color of the hydrangea based on the pH of the soil .

This works for both the mophead and the lacecap . The flowers act as almost a pH test strip , going from pinkish to aristocratical and various astuteness of both look on the pH.

Just call up that this does not exercise on the bloodless multifariousness of this plant . If you have a white hydrangea in the French variety ( orother varieties ! ) , it will not commute gloss .

Either quiz the pH of your soil and physically change it to which colourise you ’d favour , or be surprised by the color the prime turn to !

If you ’d choose pink , seek to get the dirt inert , around a pH of 6 - 7 . If you ’d prefer drab , have the soil acidic , sooner around a pH of 5.5 - 5 .

Just keep in creative thinker that if you are doing this in a garden , you may have alter succeeder of convert the pH as there is so much ground around . ( This may work better in potted miniature hydrangea varieties . )

Soil & Nutrient Needs

As remark above , the pH can alter the color of the hydrangea , so if you are opt to try out to make it a specific color , firstcheck the pHof your soil .

If you want to make it more acidic , try adding things like coffee berry ground , peels from citrus fruit , or acidic compost , or purchase aluminum sulfate . If you desire to make it neutral , give it plenty of phosphorous feedings , as well as chalk or limestone addition to the dirt .

In general , hydrangeas opt well draining soil , or else they can be prone to settle rot . add up composted soil around the top of the plant if you have some to utilize .

practice a phosphorus free-base plant food to keep this hydrangea glad and tidy , and head off N based fertiliser !

Water Requirements

Hydrangeas prefer a decent amount of water without their roots being submerged in pee . If it ’s a dry spring , or you ’ve just plant a fresh hydrangea , give it plenty of water .

It may also need a few extra tearing on those hot summer days .

Sun Requirements

This hydrangea smorgasbord need about 6 hours of sun a day , but to also forfend the afternoon heat in the summer . Ideally grow this Gallic hydrangea in a place where it can receive afternoon tincture to keep it from wilting in the red-hot weather .

Not enough sunlight is another causal agency of hydrangeas not blossom , and may stand for you have totransplant your hydrangea .

Pruning

As the French hydrangea is one of the sometime wood hydrangea variety show , this one call for to be pruned in the fall / beginning of winter . Simply deadhead the bloom that have died off and it should grow new flowers in the spring !

This is also a full meter to prune off any dead branches or any that may be spread out too far . Just keep in mind that the hydrangea will only bloom on the stem that were leave there over winter .

This is probably the trickiest part of growing a Gallic hydrangea , or old wood hydrangea , is that they do n’t do well with over - pruning or taking it down a lot size of it wise . It can be a reason why your hydrangea is n’t blooming . ( Read more reasons why yourhydrangea is n’t flower here ) .

Keep In Mind

These are beautiful flush on shrubs that can grow up to 6 pes in pinnacle and 10 feet wide , so give it plenty of space to spread out !

These are apoisonous plantwhen ingested , and can cause some digestive problem when eaten by pets or humans . And despite this , they will be eaten bydeerif there is not anything else around that they would favour to eat .

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