Like the peasant hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), the plate hydrangea (botanical Hydrangea serrata) also comes from Japan, only the var. koreana comes from Korea. It is very similar to the lacecap or plate forms of Hydrangea macrophylla, but is more delicate in all parts. The growth heights achieved are on average between 30 and 50 centimeters below those of the farmer's hydrangea varieties.
The flower color of the hydrangea varies depending on the pH of the soil
Plate hydrangeas are very frost hardy
Typical of plate hydrangeas is a slight tendency to form short runners, which is more pronounced in some subspecies. Hydrangea serrata has similar requirements to the location as Hydrangea macrophylla, but prefers partially shaded locations even more. In the sun, the foliage burns very easily and causes unsightly brown leaf edges. The frost hardiness, on the other hand, is clearly better than that of Hydrangea macrophylla, which proves to be an advantage in cold winter regions.
Plate hydrangeas and farmer's hydrangeas can be combined perfectly
The flowering time of the Serrata varieties is about two to three weeks before the flowering time of the Macrophylla varieties, so both varieties can be combined very well to extend the flowering time.
The different varieties of Hydrangea serrata
In the table below you will find a list of some of the most beautiful plate hydrangeas.
| Surname | flower color | heyday | leaves | growth height | growth width | features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrangea serrata var. koreana | pink to sky-blue depending on the pH value, darker inner flowers | June to September | light green, narrowly ovate | 60 centimeters | 120 centimeters | spreads by stolons |
| Bluebird | depending on the pH value, pure pink to sky blue | July to October | light green, ovate | 120 centimeters | 150 centimeters | loose, tiered shrub |
| Blue Deckle | pink or light blue depending on the pH value | July to October | dark green, broadly ovate | 120 centimeters | 150 centimeters | intense red autumn colour |
| Golden Sunlight | white to creamy white, inner flowers pink | June to September | yellow-green, ovate | 60 centimeters | 80 centimeters | rare leaf coloring |
| Imperatrice Eugenie | depending on the pH value, light blue to whitish-pink, inner flowers violet | July to September | dark green, broadly ovate | 120 centimeters | 150 centimeters | many, rather small umbels of flowers |
| Preziosa | light pink, purple when fading | July to September | very dark, broadly ovate | 125 centimeters | 150 centimeters | almost ball-shaped inflorescences |
| prolifera | pink or light blue depending on the pH value | June to August | light green, narrowly ovate | 75 centimeters | 100 centimeters | slow growing |
| Rosalba | light pink or ice blue depending on pH | June to September | dark green, narrowly ovate | 125 centimeters | 150 centimeters | slow growing |
| tiara | depending on the pH value, pale pink to light blue | June to September | medium green, narrowly ovate | 75 centimeters | 100 centimeters | delicate umbels of flowers |
| Veerle | depending on pH pink to azure blue | June to September | dark green, ovate | 125 centimeters | 150 centimeters | light red to violet autumn colour |
tips and tricks
Like peasant hydrangeas, many of the plate hydrangeas bloom blue in acidic soil. For this, however, you have to help with a special fertilizer, the hydrangea blue.