PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Hydrangeaceae FAMILY

Hydrangea serrata amagiana

Hydrangea serrata amagiana

Edibility
4/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

Tolerates most soil[1], thriving in a well-drained loamy soil[2], but resenting dryness at the roots[3, 1]. Succeeds in full sun or semi-shade[1], but if it is grown in a low rainfall area then it requires shade at the hottest part of the day[3]. Does well on very acid soils with a pH around 4.5[1]. 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. Best grown in an acid soil, doing well on very acid soils (pH 4.5). There is some confusion over the correct name for this plant. We have used the name in [4] but the Flora of Japan[5] says that the correct name is H. macrophylla angustata. Plants are hardy to about -25°c when dormant[1], but the young growth in spring can be killed by late frosts[PFAF]. This species is notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a greenhouse in spring[6]. Cover the pot with paper until the seed germinates[7]. 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, mid summer in a frame. Overwinter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring[7]. Cuttings of mature wood in late autumn in a frame[1]. Mound layering in spring. Takes 12 months[7]. Leaf-bud cuttings of the current seasons growth in a frame[1]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Hydrangea+serrata+amagiana>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · 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.
  2. [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  3. [3]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  4. [4]Atlas of Medicinal Plants. — Kariyone. T. · Nihon Rinshosha; Osaka · 1973 ↩︎A good Japanese herbal.
  5. [5]Flora of Japan. (English translation) — Ohwi. G. · Smithsonian Institution · 1965 · ISBN - ↩︎The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
  6. [6]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
  7. [7]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  8. [8]Hedges and Screens. — Shepherd. F.W. · Royal Horticultural Society. · 1974 · ISBN 0900629649 ↩︎A small but informative booklet giving details of all the hedging plants being grown in the R.H.S. gardens at Wisley in Surrey.
  9. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎