Your cart is currently empty!
The History of Hydrangea Cultivation: A florist Guide
•
Wild Origins and Botanical Background
The hydrangea, belonging to the genus Hydrangea within the family Hydrangeaceae, is one of the world’s most diverse ornamental shrubs, with origins stretching across East Asia, the Americas, and parts of the Himalayas. Botanical evidence indicates that the genus emerged approximately 40–50 million years ago, making it an ancient lineage of flowering plants that predates the last Ice Age.
There are roughly 70–80 recognized species, although the majority are native to Japan, China, and Korea, with smaller populations in the Americas, particularly along the Appalachian Mountains and in the Andean foothills.
The name Hydrangea was coined in the 18th century from the Greek roots hydor (water) and angeion (vessel), literally “water jar,” referring to both the plant’s cup-like seed pods and its insatiable thirst for moisture. The name perfectly captures its botanical nature: lush foliage, abundant inflorescences, and a dependency on humid, temperate climates.
Before European botanists gave it its Latinized name, hydrangeas had already been cultivated and celebrated in East Asia for over a thousand years — as symbols of emotion, impermanence, and natural harmony.
Early Asian Cultivation
Japan: The Spiritual Homeland of Hydrangeas
Among all regions, Japan is the undisputed cradle of hydrangea cultivation. Native species such as Hydrangea macrophylla, H. serrata, and H. involucrata grow naturally on the islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
By the Heian period (794–1185 CE), hydrangeas had become fixtures in temple gardens, poetry, and seasonal rituals. Japanese monks admired their shifting colors — from blue to pink to violet — as manifestations of impermanence (mujō) and emotional depth. The flowers were often associated with apology, gratitude, and heartfelt sincerity.
In Buddhist iconography, hydrangeas were sometimes used as offerings to the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kannon, and the flower later became linked with the June rainy season, a symbol of resilience and quiet grace.
The Japanese hydrangea (ajisai, 紫陽花) was later domesticated and selectively bred for larger, more vividly colored clusters. By the Edo period (1603–1868), nurseries in Edo (Tokyo), Kyoto, and Nagasaki cultivated distinct varieties distinguished by petal hue and shape. Illustrations from Edo botanical compendia show that gardeners already understood how soil acidity affected color, centuries before the phenomenon was scientifically explained.
China: Medicinal and Ornamental Traditions
In China, hydrangeas have been known since antiquity under names such as 「八仙花」 (“flower of the eight immortals”) or 「繡球花」 (“embroidered ball flower”). Although not as culturally dominant as the peony or chrysanthemum, they held steady symbolic value, representing harmony, unity, and familial prosperity due to their rounded shape.
The earliest written references appear in Tang and Song dynasty herbal texts, where wild Hydrangea chinensis and H. aspera were mentioned for their astringent and cooling medicinal properties. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, hydrangeas were cultivated ornamentally in scholars’ gardens and courtyards, appreciated for their symmetrical geometry and gentle color transitions.
Chinese horticultural manuals from the Qing period, such as the Qunfang Pu (《群芳譜》), describe propagation through stem cuttings and recommend partial shade and moist soil — methods that remain valid to this day.
Korea and the Himalayas
In Korea, hydrangeas were integrated into Confucian garden design during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). Known as “su-mok-kwa” (수목화), they symbolized humility and silent beauty, often planted near study halls and shrines.
Meanwhile, wild hydrangeas such as H. heteromalla thrived in the eastern Himalayas and Nepal, where local communities occasionally used their bark for medicinal preparations. However, formal cultivation in South Asia would not begin until the colonial era.
Introduction to Europe
The Age of Exploration and Scientific Curiosity
Hydrangeas were introduced to Europe during the height of global botanical exploration. The first recorded specimens reached Europe in the 1730s, brought by Portuguese and Dutch traders operating through Japan’s port of Nagasaki, the only site of foreign contact during Japan’s isolationist Edo period.
The French naturalist Philibert Commerson, part of the 1766 Bougainville expedition, is often credited with the European “discovery” of the hydrangea. Legend claims he named the plant Hydrangea hortensis in honor of a woman, Hortense Barré, though botanically it was later reclassified as Hydrangea macrophylla.
Cultivation and Popularity in France and England
In 18th-century France, hydrangeas quickly became fashionable as exotic novelties. They were prized for their changing colors and massive blooms, unusual among temperate shrubs. French nurseries in Paris, Nantes, and Versailles began experimenting with controlled soil conditions to influence flower color — acidic soils producing blue hues, alkaline soils producing pink.
In Victorian England, hydrangeas entered ornamental horticulture during the early 19th century, coinciding with the Romantic era’s fascination with botany and sentiment. Hydrangeas were featured in Wardian cases and conservatories, symbols of refined domesticity and genteel beauty.
Victorian “flower language” (floriography) gave hydrangeas dual meanings: on one hand, they represented heartfelt emotion and gratitude; on the other, coldness or vanity, depending on the sender’s intent — an ambiguity that reflected the flower’s mutable colors.
Expansion Through Europe
By the mid-19th century, European botanists had classified several new species from Asia, including Hydrangea paniculata (native to China and Japan) and Hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea from North America).
H. paniculata and H. arborescens proved far more tolerant of cold than H. macrophylla, allowing cultivation across northern Europe, including the British Isles, Scandinavia, and Russia. Hybridization among these hardy species began in the late 1800s, giving rise to more durable garden varieties.
Hydrangeas in the Americas
Native American Species
North America is home to several indigenous hydrangeas, notably H. arborescens (smooth hydrangea), H. quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea), and H. radiata. These were known to Native American communities long before European settlement, primarily for their medicinal bark infusions, used to treat kidney and bladder ailments.
By the 18th century, American colonists had adopted these native shrubs as ornamental plants. H. arborescens, with its soft white domed clusters, became popular in Appalachian cottage gardens.
19th- and 20th-Century Horticultural Growth
American nurseries began systematic breeding of hydrangeas in the late 19th century. Firms such as Ellwanger & Barry (Rochester, NY) and Henry Dreer & Co. (Philadelphia) produced illustrated catalogues featuring dozens of hydrangea varieties for domestic gardens.
In the 1910s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture imported and studied Japanese hydrangeas, leading to the introduction of H. macrophylla cultivars along the West Coast and in the southeastern states.
By the mid-20th century, hydrangeas became staples of suburban landscaping in the American South, particularly in Georgia, North Carolina, and Louisiana, where humid summers suited them perfectly.
Scientific Discoveries and Hybridization
Soil Chemistry and Color Transformation
One of the most fascinating aspects of hydrangea cultivation is the relationship between soil pH and flower pigmentation. Although Japanese gardeners had noticed this centuries earlier, the underlying mechanism was elucidated by European chemists in the late 19th century.
In acidic soils (pH below 6), aluminum ions are soluble and absorbed by the plant, resulting in blue anthocyanin pigments. In alkaline soils (pH above 7), aluminum becomes unavailable, and flowers shift toward pink or red hues. This discovery transformed hydrangeas into both a horticultural and scientific marvel — a living demonstration of soil chemistry.
20th-Century Hybridization and the Rise of Modern Cultivars
The early 20th century witnessed an explosion of breeding efforts in Japan, France, and later the United States. French nurseries such as Lemoine Frères developed large-flowered mophead and lacecap forms with improved vigor.
After World War II, Japanese breeders resumed hydrangea development, creating compact cultivars suited for container gardening. The postwar decades also saw the emergence of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ (“Pee Gee hydrangea”), a cold-tolerant, cone-flowered variety that revolutionized landscaping in temperate regions.
By the late 20th century, plant breeders in Europe and North America introduced reblooming hydrangeas capable of flowering multiple times in one season — a genetic breakthrough derived from H. macrophylla and H. serrata hybrids.
Cultural Symbolism and Artistic Representation
Throughout history, hydrangeas have carried rich symbolic meanings that vary by culture and period.
- In Japan, they signify apology, humility, and sincere emotion, often given during the rainy season as gestures of gratitude.
- In China, they represent harmony, reunion, and female virtue, frequently depicted in embroidery, porcelain, and painting.
- In Europe, especially in the Victorian era, hydrangeas symbolized pride, grace, and changeability.
- In modern Western culture, they have come to represent gratitude, abundance, and heartfelt emotion, making them a favorite in weddings and memorial arrangements.
Artists from the Edo painter Sakai Hōitsu to the French Impressionists Claude Monet and Henri Fantin-Latour depicted hydrangeas in lush still lifes and garden scenes, celebrating their intricate geometry and shifting hues.
Contemporary Cultivation and Global Trade
Today, hydrangeas are among the top five ornamental shrubs in global horticulture, cultivated for gardens, floristry, and commercial cut-flower production.
The Netherlands, Japan, Colombia, and Kenya dominate the international hydrangea cut-flower market. In regions like Yunnan (China) and Shizuoka (Japan), hydrangeas are also integral to eco-tourism, drawing thousands of visitors during their summer bloom festivals.
Botanically, research continues into genetic sequencing, drought tolerance, and color stabilization, with major contributions from plant scientists in Kyoto University, Cornell University, and Wageningen University.
Sustainable horticulture movements now encourage low-impact cultivation, emphasizing soil health, water conservation, and organic pest management.
Conservation and Wild Species
Despite their abundance in cultivation, several wild hydrangea species face threats from deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and illegal collection. Species such as Hydrangea kwangsiensis and H. davidii in southwestern China are considered vulnerable.
Botanical gardens around the world — including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the National Arboretum of Japan — maintain hydrangea germplasm repositories, preserving genetic diversity for future breeding and ecological restoration.
Conservation efforts emphasize both in-situ protection of native populations and ex-situ propagation through tissue culture and seed banking.
Legacy and Enduring Appeal
From mountain forests to imperial gardens, from Buddhist temples to European greenhouses, hydrangeas have traversed continents and centuries — evolving from wild woodland shrubs into one of humanity’s most beloved ornamentals.
Their appeal lies not only in their beauty but also in their changeability: color, form, and meaning shift with environment, culture, and time. Each bloom reflects both scientific wonder and emotional symbolism, embodying the unity between nature’s chemistry and human feeling.
To plant a hydrangea, in any era or land, is to engage in a dialogue with centuries of gardeners, artists, and scientists — each captivated by the same ephemeral transformation of color and light.