Gardening is a fun hobby that lets people relieve stress while also enjoying the experience. The great thing about this activity is that it also allows users to make their gardens look attractive. When it comes to this, several things should be kept in mind. Some plants are often used because of the vegetables and fruits growing on them. On the other hand, some flowers are planted because of how beautiful they look. Hence, it can be important that you first decide what type of plants will be used in your garden.
This can help in ensuring that you keep these healthy and that most issues with them can be avoided. With that being said, rhododendron and hydrangea are both similar flowers that are grown all around the world. Both of these are quite similar which is why you will notice numerous people getting confused between them. If you are having the same problem, then going through this article should help you in understanding how to differentiate between the two flowers.
Rhododendron vs Hydrangea
Rhododendron
Rhododendrons are large flowers that have about 1024 species. These are from the heath family that is known for its huge lineup of beautiful plants. The different varieties have unique characteristics on them that make them even better and give people the option to select from various options. The colors, sizes, and shapes of these flowers vary from type to type, and it can be important that you go through them carefully.
This helps in getting a plant that will last you a long time while also making your garden look aesthetic. The species are generally native to Himalayan and Asia regions, but these can be found spread across Europe and America as well. When growing plants, it can be important that people understand how they can take care of them. Rhododendrons are usually flowers that are sensitive to the pH values of soil.
Most people recommend that you ensure that the soil around your plants is slightly acidic. This should range between 5 to 5.5 pH values, and going above or below it can affect the growth of your flowers. One easy way to prevent problems is that you first check the pH value of your soil and then add fertilizers to balance it out.
This is quite simple, but you have to add fertilizers every month for the best results. The main reason behind this is that the effects of these chemicals only last a few weeks after which they have to be added back. The brand of fertilizers that you choose also plays a huge role in how these will affect the performance of your flowers.
Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are another type of flower that people plant in their gardens. These are quite similar to rhododendrons as most of their characteristics are shared. This includes the pH value requirements on both of the plants. Moreover, both flowers require people to keep them under sunlight or at least partial shade.
When it comes to this, ensuring that the plants get about 4 to 6 hours of sunlight every day can be important. This lets the flowers on them grow a lot healthier, making your garden look even better as a result. Hydrangea flowers also come in several color options that you can choose from and even the shades of colors are almost identical. However, one main difference between the two plants is their size.
Hydrangea is usually half the size when compared with rhododendrons. These can grow up to 6 feet tall while the other type of flower is capable of going up to 12 feet. The leaves on rhododendrons are also larger in have a darker shade of green. Most people can easily distinguish between the two flowers just by observing their plants.
Talking about this, if you are someone who is wondering which flowers to plant out of these two then you should note that the choice does not matter. Both plants look similar and also work as companions for each other which is why planting any of them can be a great option. The only thing that you need to look out for is the variety of flowers. This is because the size and colors of the plant will depend on it.