Gardening expert warns which plants to keep “away” from hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, with their large, vibrant flowers, are a favorite among garden enthusiasts.

There are a variety of plants that pair beautifully with hydrangeas. Perennials, shrubs, and annuals such as hostas, gardenias, ferns, hollies, yews, azaleas, and cypresses are recommended as companion plants for hydrangeas.

However, certain plants can be detrimental to beautiful flowers, preventing their growth or even leading to their disappearance.

READ MORE: Gardening expert shares an easy way to boost hydrangea flowers

To prevent gardeners from planting hydrangeas near potentially harmful plants, gardening expert Julia Omelchenko of NatureID offered her guidance.

She advised: “Hydrangeas are beautiful and popular garden plants which, when cared for properly, can be a sight to behold with their large inflorescences. However, they can sometimes be weak, fail to flower and experience leaf wilting and death even under suitable growing conditions. The problem could be the neighboring plants in your garden,” reports the Express.

1. Trees

It is not recommended to plant hydrangeas where they will be deprived of sunlight, therefore tall trees are a sure ban for these flowers.

The expert explained: “Tall and large trees such as oak, maple or birch can provide too much shade for hydrangeas, making it difficult for them to bloom.”

“Hydrangeas prefer bright but diffused sunlight, and too much shade can cause stunted growth. If there is not enough light, the plant will not bloom or its inflorescences will be small and weak.”

In addition, large trees and hydrangeas compete for nutrients in the soil. This can lead to nutrient deficiency, which will also “adversely affect” the development of hydrangeas.

2. Plants that release juglone

Some plants produce substances that inhibit or suppress the growth of other plant species – this is known as allelopathy.

Julia pointed out that “walnuts pose a particular threat to hydrangeas” because they can release a toxic compound called juglone into the soil. The expert stated: “Juglone adversely affects the development of hydrangeas and other plants, causing their leaves to turn yellow, the shoots to wither and dry, and the plant to die.”

If gardeners have walnuts on their property, Julie advised, “Plant hydrangeas as far away from them as possible.”

3. Lavender

Beloved by many gardeners, lavender is another plant that is not a suitable neighbor for hydrangeas. Although they can look beautiful together, they have opposite growth requirements and planting them side by side can “cause problems for both plants”, so they should “never” be planted side by side.

Lavender prefers dry, well-drained and not too nutritious soil, while hydrangeas need moist, fertile and slightly acidic soil.

Julius warned, “If you plant these two side by side, you may have difficulty providing optimal growing conditions for both. Moist soil, which is essential for hydrangeas, can cause lavender’s root system to rot because it cannot tolerate excess. moisture.

“On the other hand, the dry, poor soil preferred for lavender can cause chlorosis and drying of hydrangea leaves because they will not receive enough moisture and nutrients necessary for growth and development.”

4. Sun-loving plants

Hydrangeas prefer places with bright but diffused light, long periods of exposure to direct sunlight can cause their leaves to turn yellow, brown and dry, which “can later cause plant death”.

Julia pointed out that sun-loving plants such as roses, asters and geraniums are “unwanted neighbors” for hydrangeas because of the different light conditions required for their growth.

Another plant worth mentioning is the sunflower, which not only needs a lot of direct sun, but also absorbs all the nutrients from the soil, depleting it.

This slows down the growth of nearby plants, which may include hydrangeas. Instead, hydrangeas are best planted alongside other plants that prefer diffused sunlight.