Hydrangea

The name hydrangea comes from the Greek words “hydor” meaning water and “angos” meaning vessel. Which together roughly translate to “water barrel”. This is because of the fact that hydrangeas are notorious for needing lots of water and the cup shaped flowers. The name, Hortensia, is a Latin version of the French word Hortense.

Hydrangeas are a genus of over 75 species and 600 named cultivars that are native to a wide range of regions and countries, including Japan, Asia, Indonesia, Himalayan mountains, and the Americas.

WATER

Water plentifully as often as necessary to keep potting mixture thoroughly moist. Never allow the soil to dry out. If the soil does dry and the plant wilts, immerse the pot in a bucket of water until the root ball is thoroughly soaked. Note that blossoms that have been allowed to wilt may not recover.

TEMPERATURE

Flowers can last up to eight weeks if kept in a cool location (between 55F and 60F degrees). In average household temperatures blooms will last three to four weeks.

LIGHT

Bright light is best but make sure to keep hydrangeas out of any direct sun.

FERTILIZER

Feed regularly with an all purpose fertilizer for as long as the plant remains indoors.