The name of the genus Hydrangea L. comes from the Greek words «hydor» – water
and «aggeion» – vessel, and was given due to the shape of the fruits that resemble a cup when
open at the top, or, according to another version, because the plants need a lot of moisture to
thrive. The common name ‘hortensia’ is an abbreviated version of the Latin botanical name of
the first species introduced to Europe – Hydrangea hortensis (big-leaf hydrangea or French
hydrangea).
Most hydrangeas are deciduous or evergreen shrubs, rarely – small trees or vines. Due
to the fact that the sepals of sterile flowers do not fall off within 2-3 months, the species and
cultivars with inflorescences with predominantly sterile flowers keep their decorativeness
from the moment of blooming almost to frost, and can also be used in dried flower bouquets
in winter.
The genus Hydrangea includes, according to different sources, from 44 to 90 species,
occurring in East Asia, North and South America.
Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs with an exquisite appearance, fewer species are
shrub lianas with ornamental leaves and large spectacular inflorescences, blooming in
abundance and for a long time. They can be planted alone or in groups on a lawn, near trees
and shrubs, in free-growing hedges, in the background of flower beds, rabattes, or even in
containers, besides, they can be used for cut flowers or for dried flower bouquets. Climbing
lianas are used in vertical gardening, namely on fences, walls, trellises or as groundcover
plants. Due to their striking beauty, hydrangeas are a great addition to any garden. Hydrangea
was brought for the first time to Europe from Japan in 1820. It has been bred since 1900. At
that time, most cultivars were obtained from big-leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla,
Hydrangea hortensis), which is vulnerable to low temperatures. Therefore, in the beginning,
hydrangeas were grown only as houseplants. Hortensias are prized in landscape design for
their beautiful and long-lasting inflorescences. The large inflorescences bloom in early
summer, when most of the other shrubs have already faded. The representatives of this genus
have long been some of the most highly valued flowering trees and shrubs worldwide.
The purpose of this article has been to summarize the results of the research on the
introduction of hydrangea cultivars in the Republic of Moldova to use them as ornamental
plants in landscaping.
Hydrangea arborescens L. – wild hydrangea. A beautifully flowering shrub with a
rounded, broadly spreading crown up to 1-1,5 m tall, with huge, cloud-like, white or pink
inflorescences up to 20-30 cm in diameter. It blooms in abundance and for a very long period,
from June to autumn. During this time, the colour of flowers changes from light green to
white. The leaves are also rather large, ovate, up to 10 cm long, pointed at the top, with a
rounded or cordate base, green, often smooth, sometimes with fine hairs on the underside.
They do not have a distinct colour in autumn, but sometimes they turn slightly yellow. The
inflorescences are corymbs. The flowers are white or pink, sterile, 1,5-2 cm in diameter. The
shrub is fast growing. Distribution: North America, from New York in the north to Louisiana
in the south and Iowa in the west.
Hydrangea aspera D. Don – rough-leaved hydrangea. Its native range is the region
between the Himalayas, across southern China, to Taiwan. It is a species of small deciduous
trees or shrubs, 1,5-3 (4) m in height and 1,5-2 m in diameter. The shrub is erect, densely
branched. The shoots are slightly spreading, densely covered with rough hairs, with a fleecy
texture, later they become more or less glabrous. The bark is brown or grey-brown.
Uses. It is suitable for single and group plantings, for beautiful free-growing hedges,
decorative groups, garden and park compositions.
Hydrangea anomala D. Don – Japanese climbing-hydrangea. It is native to the Far
East and is one of the most exotic-looking and valuable vines. The ornamental value of
Japanese climbing hydrangea is mainly due to the white, umbrella-shaped inflorescences,
which bloom in late June-early July. The leaves also look very interesting – rounded, on long
petioles, green in summer, turning yellow in autumn. The climbing hydrangea climbs by
means of small aerial roots, on slightly curling stems, beautiful in winter, when covered with
red-brown, slightly peeling bark. The first 2-3 years it grows slowly, but after the roots
develop well enough, the plant grows much faster, by about 1 m annually. It grows to a height
of 10-20 m.
Uses. This liana can be used for covering gazebos, pergolas, trellises. It can climb on
tree trunks, pillars or columns, or even walls with a porous surface. However, it should be

ept in mind that it is difficult for such a heavy plant to hold on smooth surfaces, especially
on windy days.
Hydrangea paniculata Siebold – panicled hydrangea. It is native to southern and
eastern China, Korea, Japan and Russia (Sakhalin). This eye-catching and fast-growing plant
is widely used in landscaping. Panicled hydrangea is a shrub or tree, which can grow up to
10 m tall, with shallow roots, the growth area of which significantly exceeds the projection of
the crown. The leaves of the panicled hydrangea are ovoid or elliptical, up to 12 cm long. The
melliferous inflorescences are dense broad-pyramidal panicles up to 25 cm long and consist
of large sterile flowers up to 2,5 cm in diameter, the greenish-white petals of which gradually
turn pink, and small, fertile white flowers with early falling petals. Panicled hydrangea
blooms for the first time at the age of 4-5 years. The fruit is a capsule, cracking at the top
when ripe, with numerous small, but extremely viable seeds.
Hydrangea quercifolia W. Bartram – oakleaf hydrangea. It is a shrub native to North
America. Unlike most hydrangeas, its ornamental value is due not to the flowers, but to the
leaves. They are five-lobed, dark green, pubescent on the underside and resemble oak leaves.
In autumn, they turn rich shades of copper or burgundy-purple and look very spectacular.
Usually, there are two varieties on sale: Snow Queen (Flemigea) and the more famous
Snowflake, with very beautiful large inflorescences.
Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser. – mountain hydrangea or tea of heaven. It is a treelike,
deciduous shrub with showy flowers, loving water and warmth, native to Japan. It is
long-blooming – from July to September. Most cultivars of this species are adapted to a
temperature range from -6 to +25 °C. It is best to plant it in partial shade, in places protected
from wind and drafts. The root system is shallow, but rather spreading. Therefore, the plant
reacts fast to fertilizers and pollution in water or soil.
Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser. – bigleaf hydrangea or French hydrangea. It is
a deciduous, spreading shrub, reaching 2,5-3,5 m in height in its native range, but in areas
with colder winters, it usually grows only 0,8-1,5 m tall. The crown is spherical and reaches
up to 1,5 m in diameter. Highly decorative. Many cultivars are available. It is often grown in
greenhouses and is cultivated on a large scale in industrial floriculture. In countries with mild
winters, it is popular as a highly decorative perennial in open ground. In colder climates, it
needs to be sheltered in winter, grown in containers, or used as a scion when grafting onto
more winter-hardy species.
Schizophragma hydrangeoides Siebold & Zucc. – Japanese hydrangea vine. It is a
deciduous woody liana, which grows up to 10 m long. It climbs by means of aerial roots. The
stem is up to 7 cm in diameter. The bark is longitudinally exfoliating.
Conclusions: In the "Alexandru Ciubotaru" National Botanical Garden (Institute),
there is a unique collection of hydrangeas, which currently includes 80 taxa:

- Hydrangea aspera D. Don, cv. – 3 taxa;
- Hydrangea anomala D. Don, cv. – 4 taxa;
- Hydrangea paniculata Siebold., cv. – 50 taxa;
- Hydrangea quercifolia W. Bartram cv. – 5 taxa;
- Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser., cv. – 4 taxa;
- Hydrangea Runaway Bride Snow White 'USHYD0405' PBR – 1 taxon.;
- Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser., cv. – 37 taxa;
- Schizophragma hydrangeoides Siebold & Zucc., cv. – 2 taxa.

The species of hydrangeas introduced in the Republic of Moldova have retained their
specific features, characteristic of them in their native range. In accordance with the
assessment phenological stages, the conditions of the "Alexandru Ciubotaru" National
Botanical Garden (Institute) are favourable for the growth and development of all 9 studied
species of hydrangeas. Under the climatic conditions of the Republic of Moldova, most
species of hydrangeas bloom every year. The flowering periods of the studied species of
hydrangeas altogether cover the period from the middle of June to the middle of September.
Due to such a long flowering period of hydrangeas (up to 2,5 months), they can be used to
create long-lasting blooming compositions and gardens with continuous flowering.
Most of the studied cultivars of hydrangeas belong to the groups of highly promising and
promising for cultivation in the Republic of Moldova, which is located in the extreme
southwest of the East European Plain.
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