Hydrangea macrophylla Magical Jewel Pink

The Hydrangea macrophylla Magical Jewel 'Pink' is part of a group of recent hybrids whose flowers change colour over time. The flowers display a versatile shade with a dominant pink hue. Starting with a bright green, lime green, they gradually add pink to their flowers, always bordered by green before darkening to purple-red and fading to softer tones. Its generous flowering lasts throughout the summer and even into autumn. Its compact habit makes it perfect for growing in containers, on the terrace or indoors. It also works wonders in a shaded flower bed. It is also a hardy plant, robust and resistant even to the sun and bad weather. If planted in acidic soil, it will produce slightly blue rather than pink flowers.

Hydrangea macrophylla belongs to the hydrangea family, originating from China and Japan. Jewel 'Pink' is part of a series of varieties called 'Magical', selected for their compact habit and remarkable colour-changing flowering. It is a sturdily built bush, very hardy, with a very compact habit, barely taller than it is wide, measuring about 1m (3 ft 4 in) in height and 90cm (35.4 in) in width at maturity. Depending on the growing conditions, it can reach a height of 1.25m (4 ft 1 in) in 10 years. The small sterile flowers form dense clusters from June-July, gathered in large lime green pompoms with a slight greenish button at their centre. Then these lovely inflorescences will gradually turn pink mixed with green, then purple-red, and fade to a light green combined with purple-violet at the beginning of autumn, in a texture that resembles paper. Bouquets of flowers made up of the different stages of blooming create a lovely display. They can be grown indoors in a pot after being forced to bloom early and will continue to flower for almost 5 months. The flowers are accompanied by dark green leaves that fall in autumn. The leaves are opposite and are simple, ovate to elliptical, toothed, and have a pointed tip, reaching a minimum length of about ten centimetres.

With excellent hardiness, Magical hydrangeas are also very resistant to bad weather and perfect for brightening the north side of houses. This one will thrive in flower beds and low hedges in the morning sun or partial shade. This variety is particularly suitable for container cultivation, which can be placed on the terrace or near the entrance. Its flowers retain their beautiful pink colour in non-chalky soil but with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Pair it with Magellan fuchsias, annual impatiens, or plant spring-flowering bulbs in front of their round silhouette. Enjoy its beautiful flowers for a long time, in the conservatory, garden, or home, in bouquets.

Note: The colour of hydrangea macrophylla flowers varies depending on the soil pH. Traditionally blue varieties turn pink in neutral or alkaline soil. To maintain a beautiful blue colour, mix ericaceous compost with your garden soil and add aluminium sulphate (slate contains it) or alum stone every spring.