would like to offer a comment or two, or three, as to why my sister-in-law's 'Nikko Blue' hydrangea has flowered white this summer instead of blue like it did last summer.
Here's a foto of the color it is this season.
By the way, I'm editing to say that I was recently informed that this is not a foto of a 'Nikko Blue'.
If it isn't, my question is still relevant.
Why would it change colors from one season to the next?
This message was edited Sunday, Aug 10th 10:23 PM
The color of hydrangea can be changed by the chemistry of the soil. The same bush that produces blue in one area will produce pink in another. If the soil is borderline pH, you will see both colors on one cluster. Maybe that's the reason for the white, but exactly what the chemical explanation is, I don't know. And I don't know how true this is for modern hybrids. I'm familiar only with the old standards.
Niko Blue is like this http://www.dutchbulbs.com/spring/z31960.74589.html
Your plant looks like a hydrangea Pee Gee http://www.marysplantfarm.com/_photos/shrubs/hydrangea_paniculata_Pee_Gee.htm
Edited to fix the link
This message was edited Monday, Aug 11th 9:44 AM
Aimee; I'm aware of alkalinity affectin hydrangea color, and I thank ya kindly fer the reminder. ;~)
I'm includin a message below that I got from lupy in my email box shortly after I started this thread.
" That isn't Nikko Blue that you posted a photo of. That looks more like a peegee hydrangea, maybe 'Annabelle'."
She also said:
"Maybe Nikko Blue died and this one grew bigger and took its place in the garden? Maybe it was mis-labeled?
Mop-head and Lace-cap hydrangeas can change their flower colors, but not from blue to white. And definitely not from a mop-head to a conical flower.
Soil alkalinity influences macrophylla hydrangea flower color, but they are either pink or blue or confused. Nikko Blue tends to be blue despite soil pH than many other cultivars."
Shore sounds like lupy and you know yer hydraingas!
Thanx a lot! ;~)
tc this is Hydrangea quercifolia I believe and unlike the mopheads (macrophylla) is always white and then changes to a pinkish hue. The acidity of the soil does not affect the colour as in the macrophyllas which are normally pink or blue.
Here is a good link ......
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/h/hydque/hydque1.html
Nope, I don't know hydrangeas, never was particularly fond of them. These ladies are way ahead of me. Heck, I didn't even know these others existed. I have never personally grown hydranges, but they were always around as I was growing up. I'm sure glad someone who knew about them responded.
Wrong shape of leaf to be quercifolia, more like a Pee Gee.
All; now y'alve done went and cornfused me!
DW says we have pee gees here, they're at least 10 or 15 feet high, and have been here on our lot since way back I reckon.
Let me go take a couple of fotos of what DW says is our pee gees. I'll also post one of my lace cap too but it's not bloomin now.
I cain't take anymore of that first one in question from DW's sis-in-law till I visit her, she lives 'bout an hour from us.
This message was edited Monday, Aug 11th 11:31 AM
First is a couple of fotos of what we're (me and DW) sayin are our pee gee hydrangeas.
This next one maybe you can tell some about the size of them, that's my DS, AJ, and he's 4'7" tall.
This last one is my lace cap.
Here is a link to Pee Gee hydrangeas(hydrangea paniculata grandiflora /PG is for paniculata grandiflora) http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/paniculata.html
You are right Susie - I didn't take a look at the leaves!!! :-)
Louisa I had the hardest time at first telling them apart. I too would forget to look at the leaves. The blooms are almost identical!
If you click on the fifth little thumbnail from the right at uconn.edu here
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/h/hydpan/hydpan1.html
you'll see a pee gee that looks a lot like mine in the above fotos.
This message was edited Monday, Aug 11th 1:46 PM
So...are DW and I correct when we say our hydrangeas pictured above are paniculata pee gees?
Yep!! :-)
Those are incredible!!!!! I have never seen hydrangea bushes that big! Wow, mine are just scrawny little shrubs struggling to grow in dense shade.
And, such a good yardstick you used for measuring them! (Say hi for me to DS :)
Since your SIL has the original one, and since her name is Kathy, I do believe she was trying to pull a fast one on you. Gotta watch us Kathys, you know *grin
I've adding to my rose collection with hydrangeas this year- some peegee, some nikko blues, and others- not sure what they are...but they sure are pretty- all of 'em... even in these pics!!
Wow, tc, those are the biggest hydrangeas that I have ever seen. The ones around here are little scrawny things about 3 or 4 feet high. I have five and I never know what color they are going to be (if they bloom at all). I just don't like them and therefore don't take proper care of them. They were here when I bought the house. They say everything is bigger in Texas. Well not hydrangeas. I think Pennsylvania has the record for that! LOL
Bill
Thanks for the nice comments all! When Felder was here, he was impressed with the size of these pee gees too.
Kathy; I really don't think my SIL was playin a trick on me about her hydrangea. She swore it was blue last year and as you can plainly see in the first foto, it's not blue this season! I'm still tryin to find something in my myriad collection of gardening books about hydrangeas changing colors from blue to white.
Many hydrangeas change colours through the season - as they age and take on different hues.
I see what you are saying louisa, different hues I can understand. But I cannot understand a hydrangea that changes from a deep blue color to all white from one season to the next.
It seems as if I'm spinning my wheels tryin to find an answer to this perplexing plant phenomenon! :-o
