Hydrangea

Common Name(s): Hydrangea 

Scientific Name:  Hydrangea (referring to genus)

Classification: Hydrangeas belong to the clades of Angiosperms, Eudicots, and Asterids, order Cornales, Family Hydrangeaceae and genus Hydrangea. The common name of Hydrangea actually refers to a genus of plants comprising of over 20 species. This again shows why scientific naming is important as the common name Hydrangea refers to a grouping of species rather than a specific organism. 

 Varieties:  Many Hydrangea varieties are as mentioned previously different species. These species vary in leaf type, flower shape, flower color, and overall bush size. Most hydrangeas, however, are characterized by clustered globular flowers. One of the most common species, however is the French Hydrangea (H. macrophylla), which is commonly grown for florists to use in bouquets or as ornamental plants. 

Information:  Hydrangeas are native to Eastern Asia and the Americas---this includes Missouri. They can be considered domesticated as they are widely grown by people across the world for ornamental use.  Additionally, an interesting trait of  most hydrangea species is that their flowers change color depending on soil pH as this pH affects the availability of aluminum in the soil. Typically, a pH between 5.5 and 5 will make the flowers blue while a pH of 6 and above will turn them pink.