Hydrangea changed colour.

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by silu, Aug 28, 2012.

  1. silu

    silu gardening easy...hmmm

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    Wonder if anybody can tell me why an Hydrangea has changed from white to a somewhat wishy washy pink.
    The Hydrangea which is a sort of cross between a mophead and lacecap was here when we moved ie I didn't buy it.
    It was in totally the wrong place as far as I was concerned so I pruned it relatively hard but didn't "slaughter it" and moved it a couple of years ago. I knew by pruning it, I'd loose flowers for a while. It didn't flower last year and now is looking very healthy and flowering that's the good news, the bad is that the flowers are now no longer white! Adding to the mystery is that I have a "proper" lacecap flowering in the same bed as where I moved the now pink 1 and the lacecap is white so I'm struggling to understand the colour change and very much doubt it's got anything to do with ph as is the case with Hydrangeas being either pink or blue.Any ideas as if "wishy washy" is going to continue being the colour it is I'm not sure it's worth keeping.The only thing which might have made it change colour is it is now in more sun altho this summer nothing in my garden has much of that!!!!
     
  2. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    Hydrangeas do shift colour a bit (the Blue/Pink thing based on pH being the most apparent manifestation). I suspect that the weather has played a large part ... unless there is a chance that the pH around your garden is very variable (e.g. some cement that builders have buried for you as a present ...)

    Hydrangeas often turn colour from start-to-end of their flowering period too.

    Do you know what variety it is ?
     
  3. silu

    silu gardening easy...hmmm

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    Thanks Kristen. No a builder hasn't left me an ANNOYING present lol.The puzzle Hydrangea is in the same bed as the white lacecap which is white this year! No idea of the variety as was here when we moved and flowered white for at least 5 years prior to me moving it.The flowers are not as big as a mophead but not really lacecap either so clueless. I have others in another flower bed which are both blue and pink on the same plant. Normally just pink so think your guess as to the non stop rain might well be the clue. I'll leave it till next summer and see what colour it decides it wants to be and if it's palish pink again I'll maybe give it the heave ho!
     
  4. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    :) Might also be the stress of move / prune ... so worth seeing what next year brings before giving it to me instead :)
     
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    • redstar

      redstar Total Gardener

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      Usually a Hydranga new to the ground will not flower until its 3rd year.
      Some Hydranga just simply open up white and start changing, that is normal for that shrub, I personally love it.

      And I have covered this before: If you look at the entire genius of Hydranga, it is broken up in 3 catagories. Only one of the catagories are effected by Ph.

      I have 13 varieties of Hydranga in my property so to have constant flowering of something all the time, only 5 changes to a color. I love the one that comes in limey green then changes to pink the change over is delightful.

      If, your's is healthy, just enjoy it. And as far as pruning, some should be and some should not be pruned. Some shot off old wood, some come up fresh from the ground.

      I like actually leaving on the old wood, it helps support the new.
       
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      • silu

        silu gardening easy...hmmm

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        Thanks both Kristen and redstar, if it decides to be pink again next year Kristen feel free to pop up and get it. Only a few hundred miles between Suffolk and Fife!
         
      • harry123

        harry123 Gardener

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        Might be a little off topic, but do these like to be placed in full sun, or partial shade?


        Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
         
      • redstar

        redstar Total Gardener

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