When planting flowers in your garden, there are tons of things that people need to go through first. Plants come with numerous characteristics that can easily vary depending on the species being used. This is why considering what your requirements are beforehand can be a great way of selecting flowers that will look best in your garden. When trying to select plants that can be used during summers, hydrangeas are often the top option. This is because these are easy-to-maintain flowers that can last users a long time without any issues.
However, a similar type of plant that can be used includes lilacs. Both hydrangea and lilac are great options that can be used but the flowers also have tons of similarities. This is why if you are feeling confused when selecting out of the two options then going through this article should help you out. We will be providing you with a comparison that helps in understanding the differences between the flowers as well as helps in telling them apart.
Lilac vs Hydrangea
Lilac
Syringa or also known as lilacs are a genus from the olive family. The flower has about 12 species that are currently known and these are native to Europe and eastern Asia. The plant is mostly kept in temperate areas as it grows better when planted in a warmer environment. Keep in mind that lilacs are perennial plants that can last users several years if taken proper care of. The flowers will only bloom while the lilacs are in season but keeping the plant healthy ensures that you get new flowers the next year. Aside from this, the color of the petals usually ranges from shades of blue to pink or purple.
These can also vary depending on the species that you have planted, and the colors can also be a combination of several shades. Hence, going through the different types before selecting one of them can be quite useful. The plants grow best when kept in partial to complete sunlight. Additionally, the roots require users to keep the soil around them moist. This can be done by watering the flowers frequently while having a drainage system.
The drainage is required to prevent water from gathering around the soil as this can suffocate the plant instead. With that being said, lilacs are not only planted because of how beautiful the flowers look but because the plant also has a unique scent on it. This attracts users from a distance and the sweet aroma also attracts birds to your garden. These can take nectar from the flowers growing while also promoting pollination. This is a great way of ensuring that new plants can start growing on their own.
Hydrangea
Hydrangea or also commonly known as hortensia is a genus that has over 75 species of flowering plants. These are all perennial and the maintenance steps for most of the types are similar. The only major difference between the species is the color of their petals and the sizes that these can grow out. When comparing hydrangea with lilacs, people will notice that both flowers have numerous similarities. However, if simply looking at the flowers, then users can easily distinguish between them.
The main reason behind this is that the flowers for lilac are quite tiny when compared with the hydrangea. These look like a dwarf variant of the plant and can be easily told apart. Other than this, the steps required to keep the flowers maintained are identical which is why these are also often grown as companion plants. The colors on the petals can also help in making your garden look even better as these have shades that complement each other.
Both flowers are also perennial which means that they will grow back every year during spring. Other than this, some more differences that can be found between the two plants are in their leaves. Hydrangea leaves are lighter in color and have a sharper shape on them. While the leaves on lilacs are rounded off with a dark green accent. With that being said, most people going through the article should understand how both the plants are different from each other. You should also be able to decide which out of the two should be kept in your garden.