Inspiration

Why does a hydrangea change color? All about the color transformation of Magical® Hydrangeas

Autumn has arrived. The days are getting shorter, the light is becoming softer, and the first warm autumn colors are slowly appearing in the garden. Magical hydrangeas change with the seasons, too. Flowers that have brought vivid colors to the garden all summer gradually develop deep green, red, or gray-green tones.

Perhaps you can already see this transformation taking place in your own garden. But how can a hydrangea actually change color? Why does this happen during the flowering period, and what role does daylight play?

The secret is in the flower

What we often call the petals of a hydrangea are actually sepals. These sepals contain natural colorants, also known as pigments. Together, the various pigments determine the color we see on the outside.

Sepals do not remain exactly the same throughout the long flowering period. As the flower continues to mature, the color of the sepals changes, too. As a result, a shade can gradually deepen, become greener, or eventually develop dark red or gray-green tones, for example.

Daylight also plays an important role. Under the influence of light, the color of a Magical hydrangea gradually changes. When the plant receives more light, its natural color transformation often becomes more noticeable. So the hydrangea does not simply change color because its original color is fading. What you see is part of the flower’s continued development.

From the first color to autumn

The color transformation of a Magical hydrangea does not happen overnight. Every Magical goes through three different color nuances during its long flowering period. In fact, this is one of the characteristics a hydrangea must have to carry the Magical name.

Around the transition from spring to summer, you’ll see the fresh, bright colors your Magical started out with, such as pink, blue, white, or green. Toward the end of summer, the next nuance becomes increasingly visible. That original color gradually changes and, for example, more green tones and red accents may begin to appear in the flowers.

Once autumn begins, the final nuance becomes visible as well. Colors deepen and take on a true autumnal feel, with shades such as dark green, deep red, burgundy, and purple. This subtle development continues well into autumn.

Depending on which Magical selection you’re looking at, the exact colors you see will vary. Each variety has its own color development, with the different stages gradually occurring one after another.

Your Magical follows its own pace

Does your mother, neighbor, or friend have the same Magical hydrangea in their garden? That doesn’t necessarily mean that both plants will be in the same color phase at the same time.

Where a hydrangea is planted outdoors affects the conditions in which it grows:

• whether it’s planted in the ground or in a pot

• the amount of daylight it receives

• periods of warm weather

• sufficient water

• how the plant has come through the winter

These factors can all make a difference in the plant’s growth and development.

This is why your Magical may already be showing its third color nuance in full, while the same variety a few streets away remains in its previous phase a little longer.

Multiple color nuances on one plant

So the color transformation varies from plant to plant, but it can also fluctuate from flower to flower on a single Magical hydrangea. One bloom may have entered its next color phase already, while another one on the same plant is still showing its earlier color.

This means you can discover several color nuances on a single Magical hydrangea at the same time. Take a closer look at the different flowers on your plant. You may find divergent stages of the color transformation right next to each other on the same plant.

Want to preserve that beautiful color?

Sometimes a particular color nuance is so beautiful you would love to bring it indoors. The good news is: you can!

Autumn is a wonderful time to dry hydrangea flowers, as the blooms have developed their beautiful seasonal colors by then. Cut a flower on a day that’s not humid or damp and leave it in a warm, dark, dry place. Glycerine can also help preserve the color longer.

Display the dried flowers in a vase, create an autumn bouquet or use them in a wreath. That way, you can continue enjoying indoors the colors that developed outside.

For step by step instructions, visit Discover how to dry a Magical Hydrangea.

Take a closer look

When you take the time to look more closely, the special character of a Magical hydrangea reveals its true self. Throughout the season, the flowers continue to change and new shades keep appearing.

So take another look at your Magical today. Which colors can you see? Have all the flowers reached the same stage? And which new shade might just be starting to appear?

Let yourself be surprised by the ever-changing colors and enjoy your Magical hydrangea well into autumn.