Practical
Plants

Hydrangea paniculata

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Hydrangea genus in the family Hydrangeaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
4 m
Spread
4 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The flowers contain up to 4.06% rutin[9].

Product or use
Rutin

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The flowers contain up to 4.06% rutin[9]. This makes them useful for reducing the incidence of recurrent haemorrhages associated with increased capillary fragility, particularly in hypertension[9]. The flowers also contain 2.5% of a phenolic compound[9].

Product or use
Blood tonic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The bark is used to make Japanese paper[11][12][13]. Wood - hard, white, fine grained. Used for small items, nails, walking sticks etc[11][12][13].

Product or use
Nails
Product or use
Paper
Product or use
Wood

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan.
Habitat
Bamboo scrub, open forests and by streams[5]. Sparse forests or thickets in valleys or on mountain slopes or tops, at elevations of 300 - 2100 metres in China[10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
high
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow in a greenhouse in spring[3]. Cover the pot with paper until the seed germinates[14]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 8cm long, July/August in a frame. Overwinter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring[14]. Cuttings of mature wood in late autumn in a frame[7]. Mound layering in spring. Takes 12 months[14]. Leaf-bud cuttings of the current seasons growth in a frame[7].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Tolerates most soil[7], thriving in a well-drained loamy soil[1], but resenting dryness at the roots[2][7]. Tolerates boggy soils[13]. Dislikes very alkaline soils[8]. Does well on very acid soils with a pH around 4.5[7]. The colour of the flowers reflects the pH of the soil the plant is growing in, the flowers are pink in a neutral to alkaline soil and blue in an acid soil. Succeeds in full sun or semi-shade[7], but if it is grown in a low rainfall area then it requires shade at the hottest part of the day[2]. Plants are hardy to about -25°c[5] when dormant but the young growth in spring can be killed by late frosts. A fast-growing plant[8]. A number of cultivars have been selected for their ornamental value[4]. Plants are very tolerant of pruning and can be cut back into old wood if required[6]. This species is notably susceptible to honey fungus[7].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩

  4. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩

  5. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30258-2

    ↩1↩2

  6. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  8. Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-670-82929-3

    ↩1↩2

  9. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  10. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩

  11. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  12. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  13. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  14. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

Edit this page