Hydrangea Serrata
Facts About The Hydrangea Serrata
The hydrangea serrata is a shrub that is mainly used as shrubbery or to line walkways or paths. It produces tiny blooms surrounded by large dark green leaves. The leaves are oval shaped with a pointy edge. It grows naturally in a rounded shape and it is a smaller more compact shrub. The blooms form a hydrangea serrata can be seen all summer long.
These plants can grow up to 4 feet in height. The leaves also change color throughout the year. In the spring they are a yellow color and they turn a light green in mid summer. By the fall, the leaves are a dark green color with tinges of burgundy. But there is another colorful way this particular plant differs from other flowering shrubs.
The pH level of your soil will determine the color of the showy flowers. For example, lilacs to pink blooms are seen in soil that contains alkaline. Blue blooms can be seen in acidic soils. It may be a good idea to purchase a soil tester kit before you plant any hydrangea serrata. You can either leave the soil untreated and let the colors come in naturally or add the nutrients needed to get a specific color. This all depends on your own personal tastes but having control over what color flowers will be seen in the summer, makes this an extraordinary plant. The colors include mauve, rose, blue and even purple.
Since these plants are pretty small, you can just about place them anywhere. They can be used as one separate plant or they can also be placed in rows. If you are planning on placing them in rows, you should space them a full 3 to 4 feet apart from each other. The plants will eventually merge and appear uniform but you will have to prune them if you don’t want them growing with a rounded top. This can be done after the flower has produced blooms, in the late summer. With most flowering shrubs, you have to prune them constantly to keep them uniformed. But these plants are smaller, so you will only have to prune once or twice a year.
This plant can handle most winters. It can be grown in just about any climate expect for when the temperatures go below 10 degrees for a long period of time. If you are having an unusual cold snap in your area, it may be a good idea to provide a bit of warmth for the plant. You can place a tarp around the plant or use hay or straw to add insulation around the perimeter of the plant. As soon as temperatures go back to above freezing, you can remove the heat source.
The hydrangea serrata loves full direct sunlight with a bit of shading. It is best to place the plant in an area that receives afternoon sun and morning shade. The afternoon sun is more intense and hot and most flowering plants need this type of sunlight to produce flowers. It will not harm the plant to be placed in shade but the more shade this plant gets, the less blooms it will produce.
Make sure to keep this plant watered. With most plants, you will want to wait until the soil is dry and sandy to add water. But the hydrangea serrata needs to have moistened soil at all times. When the plant is young, try not to saturate the root and bottom of the plant. This can cause damage to the root system and harm the plant. But when the plant matures and establishes itself, you will not have to worry about root rot anymore.