Hortensia (Hydrangea macrophylla, A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 4: 15 (1830))

Family: Hydrangeaceae

Author: (Thunb.) Ser.

Bibliography: A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 4: 15 (1830)

Year: 1830

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Hydrangea

Vegetable: False

Observations: SC. Japan to Izu-shima, Kazan-retto

Description

Hortensia, known scientifically as Hydrangea macrophylla, is a captivating flowering plant widely cherished for its lush blooms and striking foliage. Classified under the family Hydrangeaceae, this exceptional species has been known and studied since 1830, notably documented in A.P. de Candolle’s Prodromus, reflecting its long-standing horticultural significance.

Originating from Japan, specifically ranging from southern Japan to Izu-shima and the Kazan-retto, Hortensia adapts well to temperate climates and has become a garden favorite worldwide. Its large, round flower clusters, which morph into varying shades of blue, pink, purple, or white depending on the soil pH, bring a vibrant burst of color to landscapes from late spring to early autumn.

Beyond its visual appeal, the history and botanical significance of Hortensia (Hydrangea macrophylla) highlight the immense biodiversity within the Hydrangeaceae family. The documented work of the esteemed botanist Thunberg, later elaborated by Ser., emphasizes its importance and widespread appreciation in botanical circles and among plant enthusiasts.

Caring for Hortensia involves understanding its preference for moist, well-drained soils and partial shade to full sun environments. By adjusting the soil’s acidity, gardeners can influence the flower’s coloration, making it a versatile and interactive plant for cultivation. Its broad, serrated leaves also add to its appeal, providing texture and depth to garden compositions.

In essence, Hortensia is more than just a pretty flower; it is a testament to the beauty and complexity of plant life, offering endless opportunities for discovery and enjoyment in gardens around the globe.

Common Names

Eng: french hydrangea, hortensia, hydrangea, lacecap hydrangea
Deu: garten-hortensie
Fra: hortensia, hortensia à grandes feuilles
Swe: hortensia
Spa: hortensias, novelos
Por: hortênsia, novelão
Nld: grote hortensia
Nob: hortensia, stuehortensia
Nno: hortensia, stovehortensia
Lat: hydrangea
Cym: trilliw ar ddeg
En: Hortensia, Lacecap hydrangea, Hydrangea, French hydrangea, Christmas flower, Bigleaf Hydrangea, Lace Cap Hydrangea
Af: Hortensia
Eu: Hortentsia hostohandi
Bn: হাইড্রাঞ্জিয়া
Bg: Едролистна хортензия
Ca: Hortènsia de fulla gran
Zh: 繡球花, 绣球
Hr: Velelisna hortenzija
Cs: Hortenzie velkolistá
Nl: Grote hortensia, Hortensia
Eo: Hortensio
Et: Suurelehine hortensia
Fi: Jalohortensia
Fr: Hortensia à grandes feuilles, Hortensia
Gl: Hortensia
De: Garten-Hortensie, Gartenhortensie, Hortensie
Hu: Kerti hortenzia
It: Ortensia
Ja: Ajisai, Gaku-ajisai
Ko: 수국
La: Hydrangea
Lt: Didžialapė hortenzija
Ml: ഹൈഡ്രാഞ്ചിയ
Nb: Hortensia, Stuehortensia
Nn: Hortensia, Stovehortensia
Fa: ادریسی
Pl: Hortensja ogrodowa
Pt: Hortênsia, Novelão
Pt-br: Hortênsia, Rosa-do-Japão
Ru: Гортензия крупнолистная
Sk: Hortenzia veľkolistá, Hortenzia kalinolistá
Es: Hortensia., Hortenzija, Hortensias, Novelos, Hortensia
Sv: Hortensia
Zh-tw: 繡球花
Ta: ஹைட்ராஞ்ஜியா மேக்ரோபைலா
Tr: Ortanca
Vi: Tú cầu lá to
Cy: Trilliw ar ddeg

Synonyms

• Hydrangea macrophylla f. otaksa ((Siebold & Zucc.) E.H.Wilson)
• Hydrangea sieboldii (Dippel)
• Hydrangea japonica f. hortensia (Regel)
• Hortensia nigra (Carrière)
• Hydrangea japonica fimbriata-macrophylla (Jacob-Makoy)
• Hydrangea japonica var. variegata ((E.J.Lowe & W.Howard) Regel)
• Hortensia rosea (Desf.)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. leucantha (Makino)
• Hydrangea japonica var. coerulescens (Regel)
• Hydrangea opuloides var. otaksa ((Siebold & Zucc.) Dippel)
• Hydrangea hortensia var. otaksa ((Siebold & Zucc.) A.Gray)
• Hydrangea hortensia f. rosea (Bean)
• Hydrangea hortensia f. otaksa ((Siebold & Zucc.) Franch. & Sav.)
• Hydrangea opuloides ((Lam.) K.Koch)
• Hydrangea hortensia var. maculata ((Blume) K.Koch)
• Hortensia macrophylla f. normalis ((E.H.Wilson) H.Ohba & S.Akiyama)
• Hydrangea opuloides f. macrosepala ((Regel) Dippel)
• Hydrangea hortensis (Sm.)
• Hydrangea macrophylla var. normalis (E.H.Wilson)
• Hydrangea opuloides var. plena (Rehder)
• Hydrangea hortensia var. macrosepala ((Regel) Rehder)
• Hortensia macrophylla f. isobue ((H.Ohba & S.Akiyama) H.Ohba & S.Akiyama)
• Hydrangea hortensia var. mariesii (Bean)
• Hydrangea japonica speciosa (Hovey)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. isobue (H.Ohba & S.Akiyama)
• Hydrangea opuloides var. mandschurica (Dieck)
• Macnemaraea opulina (Willemet)
• Primula mutabilis (Lour.)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. maculata ((Blume) E.H.Wilson)
• Hydrangea opuloides var. japonica (C.K.Schneid.)
• Hydrangea macrophylla var. hattoriana (Kitam.)
• Hydrangea japonica var. macrosepala (Regel)
• Hydrangea japonica variegata (E.J.Lowe & W.Howard)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. normalis ((E.H.Wilson) H.Hara)
• Hydrangea nigra (Dippel)
• Hydrangea mutabilis (Steud.)
• Hydrangea macrocephala (Dippel)
• Hydrangea azisai (Siebold)
• Hydrangea hortensis var. mariesii ((Bean) Bean)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. nuda (Konta & S.Matsumoto)
• Hortensia mutabilis (Schneev.)
• Hydrangea opuloides var. variegata ((Regel) Rehder)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. hortensia ((Regel) Rehder)
• Hortensia opuloides (Lam.)
• Hydrangea sinensis (Dippel)
• Hydrangea japonica var. otaksa (Regel)
• Hydrangea japonica var. plena (Regel)
• Hydrangea hortensis var. alba (H.B.May)
• Hortensia speciosa (Pers.)
• Hydrangea macrophylla var. hortensis ((Sm.) Rehder)
• Hydrangea otaksa (Siebold & Zucc.)
• Hydrangea opuloides var. azisai ((Siebold) Dippel)
• Hydrangea hortensia var. azisai ((Siebold) A.Gray)
• Hydrangea hortensia f. variegata ((Regel) G.Nicholson)
• Hydrangea japonica var. albovariegatis (Van Houtte)
• Hydrangea hortensia (Siebold)
• Hydrangea florida (Salisb.)
• Hortensia macrophylla f. isonotaki ((H.Ohba & S.Akiyama) H.Ohba & S.Akiyama)
• Hortensia macrophylla ((Thunb.) H.Ohba & S.Akiyama)
• Hydrangea opuloides var. hortensia (Dippel)
• Hydrangea azisai var. foliis-aureovariegatis (Siebold & Zucc.)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. isonotaki (H.Ohba & S.Akiyama)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. mandschurica ((Dieck) E.H.Wilson)
• Hydrangea cyanoclada (G.Nicholson)
• Hydrangea japonica var. foliis-variegatis (André)
• Hydrangea hortensia var. rosea ((Bean) J.H.Veitch)
• Hydrangea hortensis var. maculata (Blume)
• Hydrangea maritima (Haw.-Booth)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. macrosepala ((Regel) E.H.Wilson)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. veitchii (E.H.Wilson)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. mariesii ((Bean) E.H.Wilson)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. azisai ((Siebold) E.H.Wilson)
• Hydrangea mandshurica (Dippel)
• Hydrangea macrophylla var. otaksa ((E.H.Wilson) Honda)
• Hydrangea macrophylla f. caesia (Nakai)
• Hydrangea opuloides var. mariesii ((Bean) Rehder)
• Viburnum macrophyllum (Thunb.)

Distribution

• Japan (native)
• Kazan-retto (native)
• Albania (introduced)
• Assam (introduced)
• Azores (introduced)
• Bolivia (introduced)
• Canary Is. (introduced)
• China South-Central (introduced)
• China Southeast (introduced)
• Costa Rica (introduced)
• East Himalaya (introduced)
• Ecuador (introduced)
• Great Britain (introduced)
• Juan Fernández Is. (introduced)
• Korea (introduced)
• Madeira (introduced)
• Mauritius (introduced)
• Mexico Southwest (introduced)
• New Zealand North (introduced)
• New Zealand South (introduced)
• Panamá (introduced)
• Portugal (introduced)
• Réunion (introduced)
• Spain (introduced)
• Trinidad-Tobago (introduced)
• Tristan da Cunha (introduced)
• Venezuela (introduced)
• Vietnam (introduced)

Additional Images

Flower

Taken Dec 2, 2017 by brunapaino (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 19, 2016 by Laurie David (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 4, 2018 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 9, 2018 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 10, 2019 by Natalia (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Jul 20, 2021 by Modi Elnadi (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 7, 2022 by Jim Knopf (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 8, 2022 by a Angie (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 3, 2019 by ioannis nicolis (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 25, 2017 by Patricio Herrera (cc-by-sa)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Leaf

Taken Aug 8, 2021 by Jani Zadrgal (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 13, 2017 by Altino Borges Altino (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 26, 2018 by Pep Secem (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 9, 2018 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 4, 2018 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Jul 18, 2019 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 24, 2019 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 22, 2012 by Sabina Hartmann (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 4, 2018 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 13, 2018 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Taken Aug 17, 2022 by Geiko (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 28, 2022 by Christiane Buys (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 4, 2021 by Jose_S_L (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 10, 2021 by André Schweihofer (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 13, 2021 by Jani Zadrgal (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Sep 3, 2020 by bugueño yadhira (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 9, 2022 by FEBY MARTIZA PUTRI HARTONO – (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 21, 2015 by Tela Botanica − ipipipourax (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 13, 2021 by High Treeson (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 5, 2015 by Tela Botanica − ericb (cc-by-sa)

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2985994)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:791637-1)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser.)

Specifications

Growth form: Multiple Stem

Growth rate: Rapid

Growth

Ph maximum: 8.0

Ph minimum: 4.5