hydrangea

[ hahy-dreyn-juh, -jee-uh, -dran- ]

noun

1. any shrub belonging to the genus Hydrangea, of the saxifrage family, several species of which are cultivated for their large, showy flower clusters of white, pink, or blue.

hydrangea

/ haɪˈdreɪndʒə /

noun

1. any shrub or tree of the Asian and American genus Hydrangea, cultivated for their large clusters of white, pink, or blue flowers: family Hydrangeaceae

Word History and Origins

Origin of hydrangea¹

< New Latin (Linnaeus) < Greek hydr- hydr- ¹ + New Latin angea, feminine noun based on Greek angeîon vessel; so called from cup-shaped seed capsule

Word History and Origins

Origin of hydrangea¹

C18: from New Latin, from Greek hudōr water + angeion vessel: probably from the cup-shaped fruit

Example Sentences

Long Beach Realtors Loree Scarborough and Tessa Owen were holding several fat bundles of blue hydrangeas around 8:30 a.m. while considering long stems of orange ranunculus for a client appreciation event later that day.

From Los Angeles Times

I handed her the hydrangea and she immediately smiled and the entire historic, high-ceilinged ticketing concourse lighted up 1,000 watts.

From Los Angeles Times

They mingle with puffy red and fuchsia dahlias and purple phlox, as well as hydrangeas, sedum and Creeping Jenny, a ground cover that doubles as paths for strolling.

From Seattle Times

As the evening concludes, guests will leave through a path of hydrangeas, a selection of flowers common in both the United States and Japan.

From New York Times

These include creating habitats which may make them less likely to venture into vegetable beds and choosing plants less attractive to them or are more resilient to their feeding habits, such as lavender and hydrangeas.

From BBC