Locals and visitors flocking to the Northeast to enjoy the New England summer travel experience may notice hydrangea bushes blooming.
Dense, luscious flowers in vivid blues, pinks, purples and whites are in or at full bloom.
Hydrangeas are native to the Western Hemisphere and East Asia. About 23 species are known.
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Garden correspondent CL Fornari told Fox News Digital that in the Northeast, this year’s hydrangeas are stunning for several reasons.
She said that last summer and autumn were wet, and all kinds of flower buds are developing well this year. “With these plants, you have to take the ‘Hydra’ part of their name seriously,” she said.
The flowers are common from New England to New York, through Illinois and Missouri, south to Louisiana and Florida, and into Kansas and Oklahoma, according to the U.S. Forest Service. (iStock)
“We’ve had a mild winter on the heels of wet weather, and all the buds that formed late last summer have spent the winter,” said Fornari, of Massachusetts. “Now we’re seeing spectacular blooms.”
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Mark Richardson, director of horticulture at Tower Hill New England Arboretum in Boylston, Massachusetts, agrees.
He told Fox News Digital that temperature and cultural factors are important.
Tower Hill New England Arboretum is a 200-acre, four-season botanical garden located in Boylston, Massachusetts. (Tower Hill New England Botanic Gardens)
“I think that’s especially true this year, last year we had a lot of rain and we had a very mild winter,” he said. “The combination of those two things really makes for a great year for hydrangeas.”
Wild hydrangeas typically grow in wetland forests, often along streams or rocky areas, but also grow in dry areas.
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They are common from New England to New York, through Illinois and Missouri, south to Louisiana and Florida, and into Kansas and Oklahoma, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Pink, purple and blue hydrangeas photographed on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. (iStock)
Funari said the peak bloom period of a hydrangea shrub depends on the type of plant.
Hydrangea macroleaf or Hydrangea macrophylla is the most common type in North America.
According to the National Park Service, they have a classic mop head (or open lace cap) and the flowers are reminiscent of Cape Cod’s iconic plants.
The large, blue-leafed flowers appear to be in bloom now, Funari said.
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Richardson said hydrangeas are a big draw for museum visitors this time of year.
He added: “There tends to be a bit of calm in the garden in early summer when the flowers are in bloom and hydrangeas really fill that gap.”
A garden correspondent told Fox News Digital that by properly observing the hydrangea, make sure the estimated size of the hydrangea matches its actual location. (Ashley J. DiMera/Fox News Digital)
When planting hydrangeas, make sure their estimated size fits the location through proper observation, Funari says.
“You can’t make them shorter. They reach height over the summer, and the more you cut them back, the fewer flowers they produce,” she said.
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Her second tip is to “give them the sunshine, or lack thereof, they want.”
The hotter the summer, the more afternoon shade your shrubs need, so it’s important to make sure they get the sun they need.
Garden correspondent CL Fornari told Fox News Digital that when it comes to winter preparation, “Prayers work as much as anything else. Some of it is luck with the winter temperatures.” (Ashley J. DiMera/Fox News Digital)
It’s important to make sure your shrubs are deeply watered, but less deep soaking is better than a little water every day.
Funari warns people not to rely on fertilizer to help hydrangea bushes grow.
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“This is not a solution to the hydrangea problem,” she said.
“Fertilizers can sometimes make plants a little bigger, but their stems will weaken and the large flowers will eventually sink into the dirt.”
One expert says it’s important to make sure your shrubs are deeply watered, but reducing deep soaking is better than watering a little every day. (iStock/Tower Hill New England Botanical Garden)
When it comes to winter protection, “prayer works as well as anything else…some of it is luck with the winter temperatures,” Fornari said.
She is the founder of the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, which began in 2015 with proceeds going to various local nonprofits.
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During the event, the Cape Coders open their beautiful gardens to admirers from southeastern Massachusetts all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
The festival lasts for two weeks, starting on Friday 5 July.
