Lush spherical inflorescences of white hydrangea and buldenege are very similar to each other. It is especially difficult to distinguish them in a bouquet. Many mistakenly believe that we are talking about varieties of the same plant. But in fact, these two different garden crops have many biological differences, indicating that each of them belongs to a particular family and species. In more detail - later in the article.

What is hydrangea and buldenezh

Before proceeding to the description of the distinguishing features of these two beautifully flowering shrubs, we should dwell in more detail on their origin and botanical characteristics.

Did you know? The French consider buldenizh mandatory in a wedding bouquet. The flower is a harbinger of bright feelings and a long happy life for the bride and groom.

Bullenezh called decorative bushes of a barren variety of ordinary viburnum (Viburnum opulus). Due to the beautiful snow-white flower brushes that resemble balls in their shape, the plant has been widely cultivated in the landscape gardening landscape of Europe since the 17th century.

A wonderful viburnum variety was bred by French breeder Lemoine. Its name is literally translated from the original language as “snowball”. The culture belongs to the Adoksy family (before botanists argued for a long time, singling out separately or crediting them to Honeysuckle).

Outwardly, it is a deciduous tree-shaped bush with powerful, but flexible upright branches, a voluminous crown, a serrated foliage consisting of several lobes, and umbrella-shaped inflorescences up to 15 cm in diameter. Under favorable conditions, about five thousand flower-bearing buds can form on the buldenega. Non-blooming flowers are characterized by a light green color, gradually, as they open, they become snow-white. Some varieties of buldenezh (for example, Roseum) differ in a scarlet shade.

Did you know? In the Victorian dialect, hydrangea personifies vanity, coldness and indifference. And in Japan, the flower is revered as a symbol of the manifestation of the brightest feelings and is called the "purple sunny flower."

The world learned about hydrangea in 1768 during the first French round-the-world expedition, when its members landed on the island of Mauritius, washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean. The flower was named with an easy supply by the French doctor and naturalist Philibert Commerson in honor of the sister of the Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Karl Heinrich Nassau-Siegen. Later, after studying the characteristics of the plant, botanists called it Hydrangea, which in Greek means “water vessel”.

The culture represents the Hortense family, in Europe it is popular as an exclusive flower for elite gardens. Its natural habitat is America and East Asia. Depending on the climatic and soil characteristics of the habitat, hydrangea can develop in the form of shrubs, low trees or creepers. Some species are deciduous, others are evergreen.

In temperate latitudes, hydrangea is common, which is a medium-sized sprawling bush with a voluminous crown, broadly oval leaves, thyroid or panicle large inflorescences of different colors. A characteristic feature of this flower can be considered the ability to accumulate aluminum secreted from the acid substrate in plant tissues. The color of the buds depends on its quantity.

Important! To maintain the acidity of the substrate, it is recommended to periodically acidify the water for irrigation with apple cider vinegar (20-30 ml per 10 l of water) or citric acid (1-2 g per 10 l).

Experienced flower growers know that blue hydrangea inflorescences will form only when the soil has a low pH (pH). If its level rises to 6.5-7, the inflorescences will change their color to pale beige. If the pH exceeds the average, hydrangea will turn bright purple or pink.

What is the difference between buldenege and hydrangea

Despite the general visual similarity, buldenege and hydrangea are radically different from each other. The difference between them is obvious if you look closely at the bark, shoots, foliage, the shape of the flowers. Moreover, cultures bloom in different periods and prefer radically different cultivation conditions. About all this in order.

Appearance

Ornamental viburnum and hydrangea have a similar root system. They have a powerful, well-branched and shallow. The main mass of root processes is located at a depth of 45-50 cm. From the center of the bush, they can extend in breadth no more than one and a half meters. The bark of crops is characterized by gray-brown color and oblong cracks. Their crowns develop in the shape of a ball, up to 2.5 m high and up to 3.5-4 m in diameter. From a distance, their inflorescences seem identical. But this is only at first glance.

The main differences between buldenege and hydrangea are presented below in the comparative table.

Shelf life and flowering period

Another difference between flowers is their lifespan. In a favorable habitat, decorative viburnum grows for half a century or longer. Hydrangea is more vulnerable to soil and climatic features of the region. Therefore, he does not live longer than 40 years.

Important! In a slightly acidic soil with a pH of about 5.0–5.5, hydrangea blooms brighter and more abundant, forming a beautiful, lush crown.

If you plant annual seedlings of both crops, then the first flowering will come faster in buldenezh. Its lush white inflorescences will appear the next year after rooting and will last for 5-10 days. Hydrangea will form flower buds only 4 years after planting. Flowers fade 20 days after opening.

Growing Features

In any area, both shrubs will look spectacular.

For their full development, the gardener must take care:

1. About the nutrient-rich loose substrate. In this aspect, both shrubs are not very capricious and easily adapt to new growth conditions. Unfit for their planting are swampy zones, as well as areas with a close arrangement of groundwater to the surface of the soil. Rocky, saline soils and sandstones should also be avoided.
2. On the creation of light partial shade. Note that direct sunlight is more detrimental to viburnum. Under their influence, severe burns form on its foliage. If the plant is placed in a dense shade, its flowering will be sparse and short-lived. Hydrangea tolerates the sun better, but in such conditions it requires frequent watering.
3. That there was a certain protection from through winds and nearby lowland areas where cold air gathers.
4. About high soil moisture. Both plants are very fond of water. Ideally, they should be located near garden ponds, where there is loose and light soil.

Video: hydrangea cultivation

Growing hydrangea and buldeneg is an activity that will not cause you much trouble and waste. Both plants will be a worthy decoration for a garden or courtyard. And which flower to choose depends on your preferences and tastes.