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HYDRANGEA
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The genus Hydrangea comprises several species of flowering deciduous shrubs that belong to the Saxifragaceae family. They are native to Asia and to North and South America. Hydrangeas are valued for their large, showy flowers, which may be white, pink, or blue.
The flower color of H. macrophylla, an Asiatic species, can be changed by varying the pH of the soil. In acid soil, blue-and mauve-colored blooms are produced; in alkaline soil, pink. An American species, H. arborescens, forms an upright shrub up to 1.5 m (5 ft) tall with rounded clusters of white flowers. The variety grandiflora, hills-of-snow, is the most commonly planted. The American H. radiata produces a spreading shrub up to 1.8 m (6 ft) tall with leaves that are silvery white beneath. An Asiatic species, H. paniculata, is one of the most hardy. It assumes the size and form of a small tree. Long panicles of white flowers are produced. Another Asiatic species, H. petiolaris, can climb walls and tree trunks by producing aerial rootlets.
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