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Hydrangea macrophylla

Common name:		Family:	Hydrangeaceae
Author:	(Thunb.)Ser.	Botanical references:	11, 58, 200
Synonyms:	Hydrangea maritima (Haw-Booth.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat:	Sunny places near the coast of E. Japan[11].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Azisai [E], Bigleaf Hydrangea [H,DEN1], Garden Hydrangea [L], Hydrangea [H], Lace Cap Hydrangea [H],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	macrophylla = large leaved
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rosales. Hydrangea family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China

Physical Characteristics

A decidious shrub growing to 3m by 3m . It is hardy to zone 5 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Leaves Sweetener.

The young leaves, when dried and rubbed between the hands, become very sweet and are used to make a sweet tea called 'tea of heaven', it is used in Buddhist ceremonies[183]. The leaves contain phellodulcin (its chemical formula is C16 H14 O), a very sweet substance that can be used as a sugar substitute[116, 183]. One small leaf is sufficient to sweeten a cup of tea[218]. The older leaves can be dried, powdered and used as a flavouring on foods[105, 177]. The young leaves and shoots are also eaten cooked[105, 177]. Young leaves contain the toxin hydrocyanic acid, this reduces as the leaves grow older, often to zero levels[218].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antiperiodic Antitussive Diuretic.

The leaves, roots and flowers are antimalarial, antitussive and diuretic[218, 240]. They are said to be a more potent antimalarial than quinine, due to the presence of an alkaloid[240].

Other Uses

Hedge.

A useful hedging plant because of its vigorous growth. The Hortensias or mop-head cultivars are recommended[200].

Cultivation details

Tolerates most soil[200], thriving in a well-drained loamy soil[1], but resenting dryness at the roots[11, 200]. Succeeds in full sun or semi-shade[200], but if it is grown in a low rainfall area then it requires shade at the hottest part of the day[11]. Prefers a shady position[1]. Does well on very acid soils with a pH around 4.5[200]. Plants also tolerate alkaline soils, though they become chlorotic on shallow soils over chalk[200]. The colour of the flowers reflects the pH of the soil the plant is growing in, the flowers are pink in a neutral to alkaline soil and blue in an acid soil[200]. A very wind resistant plant when grown in mild areas[166].
Dormant plants are hardy to about -10° c[184], though the young growth in spring is frost-tender[K].
A very ornamental plant and polymorphic species[200], there are many named varieties[184]. This species was named for a sterile (or 'mop head') cultivar so that the true species should really be referred to as H. macrophylla normalis[182].
Plants are cultivated for their leaves in China and Japan.
Plants are very tolerant of pruning and can be cut back into old wood if required[188].
This species is notably susceptible to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a greenhouse in spring[113]. Cover the pot with paper until the seed germinates[78]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 8cm long, July/August in a frame. Overwinter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring[78].
Cuttings of mature wood in late autumn in a frame[200].
Mound layering in spring. Takes 12 months[78].
Leaf-bud cuttings of the current seasons growth in a frame[200].

Cultivars

'': No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
[DEN] Data _ Photos (Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[116] Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1986
A small booklet packed with information.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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