How Do I Care for Hydrangeas?

Panda Flowers

Hydrangeas are gorgeous flowers and are a favourite addition to both vased arrangements and bridal bouquets. As pretty and premium as they are, they have been accused of giving mixed messages: “I’m easy to care for” and “Oh look, you gave me water but I’m still gonna wilt”.

Are they easy to care for? Yes. Do they need you to “tilt” your head to the left and stand on your right leg? Somedays, yes! “Hydra” comes from early Greek and means water. The mere inclusion of this term has hydrangeas longing for water and more water. Clean water, of course! Anytime your hydrangea is out of water, for even a few minutes, always give it a fresh cut on an angle before inserting it back into water. A fresh cut keeps the stem open.

Hydrangeas are one of the few special plants that draw moisture in through both their multiple florets AND their leaves on the stems. For best results, remove as many leaves as possible so the water goes directly to the florets.

Below are simple steps to care for your cut hydrangeas:

1. When your get your cut hydrangea home from the flower shop, always recut the stem on an angle and then insert directly into clean, room temperature water. Do not place in direct sunlight and keep away from heat sources. Remove any unnecessary leaves.

2. Every 3-4 days, recut those stems again and place in new, clean, room temperature water. Humans don’t like drinking dirty water, neither to cut flowers.

3. Repeat these steps as needed and your hydrangea should last you 5-7 days or even more. It’s tough to say exactly how long they will last as exposure to heat, dry air and other environmental factors in our homes affect the lifespan of cut flowers.

Why are they Difficult? And, how can I revive my wilting hydrangea?

Since hydrangeas drink through their florets, if you need to revive a wilting hydrangea, one method is to simply submerge the entire stem, florets and all into water and let it soak for a couple of hours. The water temperature should be at least room temp but don’t be afraid to use warmer water (think baby bottle on the wrist warm) and within a couple of hours, your hydrangea should bounce back to its former glory.

Why Warm Water?

The hydrangea stem is quite sturdy, almost wood like and within the stem is a sap like substance that can clog the stem preventing the stem (lifeline) from getting water to the blooms. Think clogged artery and its difficulty getting a healthy blood supply to the heart. By warming the stem, the sap moves freely and your stem provides an open transportation system for the blooms to receive water.