Looking to change up the color of your hydrangeas? This guide is for you! Hydrangeas are a flowering plant that come in a variety of colors, including blue, pink, purple, and white. The color of a hydrangea’s flowers depends on the pH level of the soil. If you want to change the color of your hydrangeas, all you need to do is adjust the pH level of the soil.
Follow these steps to learn how to change the color of your hydrangeas! Keep reading to learn more!
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The Magical Color Change
Hydrangeas are a type of flower that is known for their large, showy blooms. The flowers can be any color from white to purple, and they’re often used in home décor, bouquets and floral arrangements. While most people think of them as being one color, did you know that it’s actually possible to change the color of these flowers?
If you want to add a little something extra to your garden, or you’re just curious about how it’s done, read on to learn how to change the color of your hydrangeas.
How Do Hydrangeas Get Their Color?
First, let’s start with a little bit of background information. Hydrangeas get their color from the amount of aluminum in the soil. Soil with a high aluminum content will produce blue flowers, while soil with a low aluminum content will produce pink flowers.
The pH of the soil directly affects the amount of aluminum available, also affecting the color of the flowers. With more acidic soil tending to produce blue flowers and alkaline soil produces pink flowers. For example, acidic soil means there is more aluminum available to the growing plant.
How Do You Change It?
Now that you know how hydrangeas get their color, let’s talk about how you can change it. Your first step is to test your soil’s pH level. Once you get the results, you will know if you need to raise or decrease the pH level of your soil.
If you want to turn your pink hydrangeas blue, you’ll need a soil pH of between 5 and 5.5. To achieve this, add aluminum sulfate to the soil which you can find at most gardening stores. To turn blue hydrangeas pink or red, you’ll need a pH of 6 or more. Therefore, you’ll need to lower the amount of aluminum. Adding lime to the soil can increase the pH.
For optimal results with your color change, start the soil amendments well before flowering, as in late fall or early spring.
It’s important to note that you won’t see the results of your efforts overnight. It can take a few months for the flowers to change color. Additionally, soil tends to try and revert back to its original pH, so monitoring, and maintaining pH levels will have to be done more often. But once they do, you’ll have a beautiful display in your garden that is sure to impress your friends and neighbors.
Can You Change the Color on All Hydrangeas?
The answer to this question is, sadly, no. The types of hydrangeas that you can change the flower color on are called mopheads, lacecaps, bigleaf, or French hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla).
The other varieties, such as oakleaf (Hydrangea quercifolia) and PeeGees (Hydrangea paniculata), are white or cream-colored and cannot be changed.
Some Facts and Care Tips About Hydrangeas
Who knew there were so many interesting facts about hydrangeas? For instance, did you know that the hydrangea’s name comes from the Greek words for “water” and “vessel”? Or that these pretty flowers are native to Asia and North America?
Here are some more fun facts about hydrangeas:
- Hydrangeas are part of the genus Hydrangeaceae, which includes about 75 species.
- The most common species of hydrangea is the bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla).
- The hydrangea plant can grow up to 10 feet tall, with a spread of about the same!
- No matter what type of hydrangea you have, they all prefer moist, well-drained soil with a pH between 5.0 and 6.5. They do best in partial sun to full shade and should be protected from the hot afternoon sun.
- Hydrangeas do need a little pruning. Depending on the type of hydrangea you have, will depend on when to prune. For example, if you have a hydrangea that flowers on old wood, it should be pruned right after blooming. Whereas new wood blooming hydrangeas can be pruned in early spring or late winter.
It’s Gardening Magic!
Have you ever wanted to change the color of your hydrangeas? As you can see, it’s actually a lot easier than you might think!
The color of a hydrangea’s flowers depends on the pH level, and the amount of aluminum in the soil, so all you need to do is adjust the pH level and you can change the color of your blooms. Follow these simple steps to learn how to change the color of your hydrangeas!
Do you have any tips or tricks for changing the color of your hydrangeas? Leave a comment below!
