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hydrenga a shrub or a perennial by definition
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Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Wed, Nov 4, 09 at 8:57
| in my z5.. my ONE H. dies back to snow cover.. i have always thought of it as a perennial.. and treated it as such ...especially in regard to pruning ....
in another post ... in this forum.. it is being discussed as a shrub.... which would mean i have to apply different pruning rules.... such as removing 1/3 renovation ... among, perhaps, other things ...
it had its best year ever this year ... instead of just cutting off the part above snow.. that died.. i cut the entire thing to about 2 inches [just above the first pair of buds] .. and the thing was twice as big as it has ever been .... my theory is that i reduced the number of spring buds... to a minimum .. so it put all its power into fewer buds.. rather than spreading it among dozens of buds .... [a lesson on pruning from my rose days]
TIA
ken
PS: it was an Easter flower from a decade or two back.. its half pink.. and half blue... depending on the irrigation line.. go figure on that .... i have no clue what it is, per se ... and what does that tell me about my soil/irrigation interface ....
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: hydrenga a shrub or a perennial by definition
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| Well.....shrubs ARE perennials, as are trees, but I'm guessing that's not what you meant :-) The term 'perennial' really only applies to the life expectancy of a given plant but has come to refer to pretty much any dieback, herbaceous flowering plant that lives longer than 2 years. Generally, plants that develop a woody framework - like hydrangeas - are considered shrubs. But depending on the hardiness of the plant and the location it is being grown, many shrubs can act like dieback perennials, dying to the ground in winter and reappearing again in spring. That sounds like what is happening with your hydrangea, Ken. Bigleaf hydrangeas - the ones with colored flowers/H. macrophylla - are generally considered to be root hardy to at least zone 6, sometimes zone 5, without winter protection. But the top growth is more tender and can easily be damaged by winter cold in those zones. That's why gardeners in these zones go to so much trouble to winter protect these shrubs - so the top growth will not be killed back and the flower buds already present on these stems destroyed. The vast majority of these types of hydrangeas bloom on second year growth or old wood only - if the top growth is killed back in winter or if it is cut back drastically, the flower buds are removed and the plant fails to flower. There are some newer introductions (like the Endless Summer series) that have been bred for greater cold hardiness (zone 4) and the ability to bloom on both old and new growth just to accommodate the conditions of cold climate gardens. In my area, hydrangeas can become quite massive shrubs, depending on type - easily 6-8 feet tall and as wide and some species even larger. But then they are never exposed to winter temperatures that would create the dieback you experience in colder zones. |
RE: hydrenga a shrub or a perennial by definition
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| thanks for taking the time gal ... mine is macrophylla now that i think about it ... go figure on them growing to large shrubs in warmer climes ... this was the ultimate year for bloom on mine ... all on new wood .. another double go figure ... thanks again ken |
RE: hydrenga a shrub or a perennial by definition
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| Aside from the newer introductions, there are a few cultivars that have been known to produce flowers intermittently on new growth - the old standby 'Nikko Blue' is one :-) That yours was an Easter flowering plant - what is typically referred to as florist's or greenhouse hydrangea - is even more unusual. Generally these tend to be tough to establish in the landscape outside of the warmer zones and that yours has survived and even bloomed in a rather harsh hydrangea climate is pretty amazing. Good for you!! |
RE: hydrenga a shrub or a perennial by definition
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| i gave a friend an easter hydrangea, and when she planted it, i scoffed that it would never survive. but like ken's, survive it did and bloomed, even with blue flowers! right here in the montreal area. go figure! |
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