Гортензія

Hortensia is a name for the hydrangea; some hydrangeas, particularly Hydrangea macrophylla, are often called hortensia. Hydrangea macrophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae, native and endemic to Japan. It is a deciduous shrub growing to 3 m tall with large heads of pink or blue flowers in summer and autumn. Common names include bigleaf hydrangea and, for particular cultivar groups, lacecap hydrangea, mophead hydrangea and hortensia.

The plant

In most of its over 500 cultivars the small central flowers are replaced by large, sterile or mostly sterile flowers, and the inflorescence forms a hemisphere or a whole sphere. Hortensia hydrangeas are compact bushy deciduous shrubs with broadly ovate leaves and rounded flower clusters composed almost entirely of showy sterile flowers. The large flowers range in colour from pale pink to red, fuchsia, purple and blue. Flower colour is affected by soil pH. An acidic soil (pH below 7) will usually produce a flower colour closer to blue, whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will produce flowers of a pink, or even a red colour.

Chemistry and safety

Phyllodulcin, hydrangenol and their 8-O-glucosides, and thunberginols A and F can be found in H. macrophylla. The leaves also contain the stilbenoid hydrangeic acid. Hydrangeas are moderately toxic if eaten, with all parts of the plant containing cyanogenic glycosides.

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