From “How the Hydrangea Got It’s Name” in Hydrangeas by Naomi Slade:
“The name ‘Hydrangea’ is derived from the Ancient Greek words hydor, meaning ‘water’ (and from which comes the root-word hydr-, meaning ‘pertaining to water’, as in ‘hydrant’) and angeion, meaning a container such as a pitcher.
“People love a good story and are quick to infer meaning, so it is sometimes stated that the name is an indication of the plants’ thirsty tendencies and love of moist ground. It is even surmised that the name actually comes from Hydra, the snake-haired mythological monster, which the stamens could, with a modicum of imagination, be said to resemble.
“But the real answer or, at least, the most widely accepted one is that the buds of the flower, before they burst, are the same shape as an ancient Greek vessel that was used to carry water.”
More hydrangeas!
The galleries below show a mixed batch of hydrangea blooms from my garden, those that had been planted in my garden by previous homeowners and have come back to see me every spring and summer for the past fifteen years.
My previous hydrangea posts for 2021 are:
Baby Bluebird … Hydrangeas (1 of 2)
Baby Bluebird … Hydrangeas (2 of 2)
More Bluebird Hydrangeas! (1 of 2)
More Bluebird Hydrangeas! (2 of 2)
Pink Mophead Hydrangeas (Five Variations)
Big Blue (and Black and White) Hydrangea Blooms
Thanks for taking a look!
