Hydrangea macrophylla
'Generale Vicomtesse de Vibraye'
BIG LEAF HYDRANGEA, MOPHEAD HYDRANGEA
Family: Hydrangeaceae
Pronounced: hi-DRANG-gee-a mak-row-FILL-la
Quick Jumps
Growing Guide
Rainy Side Notes
GROWING GUIDE
Origin:
Garden.
Plant Group:
Shrubs.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: 2-9, 14-24.
USDA zones: 6-9.
Mature size:
Height: 4-6 feet (1-2 m).
Width: 4-6 feet.
Flowering period:
Late spring through summer.
Flowering attributes:
Large sterile flowers on round flowerheads.
Leaf attributes:
Deciduous, coarsely toothed, dark green, up to eight inch long leaves.
Growth habit:
Round deciduous shrub.
Light:
Partial shade; afternoon shade is best.
Soil:
Rich, moist, well-drained soil.
Feeding:
Side dress with compost and manures. Add a complete organic fertilizer to soil in spring.
Propagation Methods:
Softwood cuttings in early summer to October.
Pruning Methods:
Flowers on old wood so prune after flowering finishes. Thin out stems for larger blooms.
Rainy Side Notes
H. macrophylla 'Generale Vicomtesse de Vibraye' is a hybrid of H. 'Otaksa' and H. 'Rosea'. Keep well watered when establishing new plants. This cultivar's flowers are a light blue here in the Northwest with our typically acidic soils. It usually flowers while still a young plant. For pink flowers, add lime to the soil. It is a beautiful plant for the partial shade to full sun garden.
For fresh cut flowers, harvest when the flowers are completely opened. For longest lasting cut flowers, harvest and place as soon as possible into five to seven inches of hot water at 110-120°F (43-49°C). Immediately place them into the refrigerator and keep there for eight hours. Re-cut stems for vase and put in hot water again. The flowers will last up to 14 days. The flowers do not do well with floral foams, as they cannot uptake enough water.
This cultivar is the easiest for drying. If picked blue, they dry to a blue-green. Picked pink, they dry as lime-green. To dry the flowers, wait until September. Harvest when the petals feel leathery or rubbery, not papery, to the touch. Strip the foliage and rubber band in bunches of three; hang upside down in a warm, dry, dark place. Humidity will result in flowers turning brown.
More Hydrangeas.Photographed in author's garden.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton