Cultural Tips-Hydrangea

The rainy season has just begun.

In the column for March this year, it was mentioned that plum blossoms are a sign of early spring. The symbol of the rainy season is hydrangea, which is native to Japan. The typical hydrangea blooming season is from early June to mid-July, which is almost the same as the rainy season.

The most remarkable feature about the flower is that they change their color from pink to blue with the environment. The color range is determined by three factors: soil ph, aluminum and pigment called anthocyanin.

When the soil is neutral or alkline, the hydrangea's color is pinkish. When the soil is acidic, the color becomes bluish because aluminum in the soil is melted by the acid, which affects the anthocyanin in the hydrangea's petal, making the color blue.

In addition, the color of hydrangeas changes while blooming as the pigment in the petal is gradually decomposed. So, the hydrangea has a nickname"shichi-hen-ge" meaning seven transformations.