Hydrangea paniculata and tree-like - differences

Hydrangea is a genus of plants that belongs to the Hortensia family. In nature, a large number of these flowers grow in South and North America, South and East Asia. Meanwhile, the beauty and unpretentiousness of hydrangeas has become the reason for their popularity among gardeners. Now these flowers can be found in gardens and private homes around the world.

Types of hydrangeas

There are many varieties of hydrangea, which differ in size, appearance of leaves and flowers, and care features. These include the following types:

• tree-like;
• paniculate;
• garden;
• oak-leaved;
• petiolate;
• variegated;
• serrated;
• radiant;
• ashy.

There are dozens of types of hydrangea in nature.

Despite the species diversity, only the first three varieties are widespread on the territory of Russia. At the same time, there will be no shortage of choosing flowers for the garden, since breeders have bred dozens of varieties of hydrangeas.

Meanwhile, hydrangea is large-leaved, hydrangea paniculate and tree-like differences have, and quite significant. This will be especially important in the organization of plant care.

What is panicle hydrangea

Panicle hydrangea is represented by a shrub, which most often reaches a height of 2 m, but some representatives of this genus can grow up to 10 m. The bush is formed by several trunks that are capable of rapid wooding. Thanks to this feature, the plant easily tolerates winter frosts.

The leaves of these shrubs are oval, slightly elongated and often have villi. The dimensions of the leaf plate can vary depending on the variety and often reach 8-10 cm.

In panicle hydrangea, inflorescences are located at the tops of new shoots. They resemble a pyramid in shape with a wide base and a sharp top. Such panicles are composed of infertile and fertile flowers.

The most popular varieties from this category are Diamond Rouge, Phantom, Pinky Winky, Grandiflora, Vanilla Freise.

Panicle hydrangea has conical inflorescences

What is hydrangea tree

Treelike hydrangea is a deciduous shrub native to North America. Under natural conditions, the plant can reach a height of more than 3 m, however, specimens higher than 1.5 m are rarely found in gardens.

On the tubular shoots, leaves of a rich green color are located. On the back side, the shade is less intense, often bluish. The leaf plate is elliptical in shape with serrated edges. In most representatives of shrubs of this species, the leaves are relatively large (up to 10 cm in length) without pubescence.

Inflorescences that appear on annual shoots are most often flat or in the form of a ball. They consist of small flowers of white, pink or purple color.With good care, dozens of inflorescences appear on the bush, which completely cover the plant.

Globular inflorescences of tree hydrangea

What is large-leaved hydrangea (or garden)

This type of hydrangea is a ball-shaped shrub. The natural area of ​​its distribution is Japan. In the wild, the bush can grow up to 3 m in height. The cold climate of Russia does not allow the plant to reach such sizes, therefore large-leaved hydrangeas 0.5-1 m in size are most often present in the gardens.

On the bare erect stems of the plant are wide oval leaves with a pointed end. In summer, they are painted in a bright green hue, but by autumn they acquire a red tint.

The flowers of this shrub are collected in large, rounded inflorescences. Depending on the variety and type of soil, the petals can be white, purple, pink, red or blue.

Garden hydrangeas have rounded colored inflorescences

How to distinguish between types and varieties of hydrangea

Hydrangea has many species and varieties, which in some ways can be completely identical. For this reason, it is often difficult to determine which species a particular plant belongs to.

This is due to the fact that it is important to take into account several features (the shape and shade of the inflorescence, the size of the flowers, the shape and size of the leaves, the level of lignification of the branches).

Hydrangea paniculata or treelike - which is better

When choosing a suitable variety for planting in a local area, many gardeners are wondering which type of ornamental bush is better. This question cannot be answered unequivocally. First you need to study how the panicle hydrangea differs from the tree hydrangea. Given these characteristics, the choice will be easy.

• Plant structure. The treelike hydrangea is a typical shrub, while the panicle variety may look more like a small tree (both multi-stemmed and single-stemmed) in shape. The shape of the plant (its crown) depends on this feature.
• Frost resistance. Paniculate varieties may differ in that new shoots are quickly covered with bark. This makes them more resistant to low temperatures. In other words, such shrubs can easily survive the winter, even in regions with a cold climate. In the tree type of such plants, new branches do not have time to get stronger during the summer season, therefore, in the absence of insulation, they completely freeze in winter.
• Appearance. In addition to the structural features and care, differences in the appearance of representatives of this family should also be taken into account. In paniculate varieties, the inflorescences are large, conical, and in tree varieties, they are spherical. In landscape design, these plants will look different.

The advantages of growing hydrangea paniculata on the site

Many people opt for paniculate subspecies, which is explained by a number of advantages.

• Such a plant does not tolerate direct sunlight, so you need to choose a slightly shaded garden for it. However, the complete absence of the sun has a bad effect on the condition of the shrub - it begins to grow more slowly, and the inflorescences become smaller.
• Undemanding in care. In order for the hydrangea to bloom regularly, it is enough to water the bushes 1-2 times a week, fertilize 3-4 times over the summer and periodically loosen the soil.
• A wide variety of varieties. The list of representatives of this species includes several dozen subspecies.
• A long flowering period that lasts from June until the coldest days. Throughout the summer, the bush acts as a decoration of the garden.
• It tolerates frost well and does not require additional insulation.

Hydrangea large-leaved and tree-like: differences

After describing the main species of this plant, one cannot ignore the question of how the tree hydrangea differs from the large-leaved one.

• The inflorescences of a tree-like shrub are white, milky or pinkish. Representatives of the garden type can have both white and colored petals (red, purple, pink, purple).
• Varieties of tree hydrangea can winter without insulation in Central Russia and the Urals. For broad-leaved varieties, such a climate in winter will be destructive, so they need autumn preparation and additional insulation.
• When forming the crown, it is necessary to know the growth characteristics of different types of hydrangea. In tree-like inflorescences, they form on shoots formed in the new year (they develop from lateral buds). Garden subspecies of inflorescences are formed on those shoots that continue to grow from the upper buds of last year's branches. Thus, frozen or cut tops this year will not give flowers.

The above characteristics make it clear that large-leaved and tree-like hydrangea have differences not only in appearance, but also in the features of care.

Hydrangeas of different types in the landscape design of the site

As for the external features of the shrub, it is not possible to choose the best type and variety. Each gardener will be able to distinguish and highlight the variety, taking into account their own preferences.

Any of the options presented, with proper care, is characterized by abundant flowering and a lot of greenery. Thanks to this feature, the shrub becomes a real decoration of any territory.

All hydrangeas go well with most types of shrubs and trees, including fruit, evergreen and conifers. The varieties are effectively complemented by mowed lawns and undersized flowering plants. With the help of hydrangea, you can arrange alpine slides and artificial reservoirs located on the site. And the result will look amazing.