Meaning & use
hydrangea
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A garden bush with large round groups of small pink, blue, or white flowers.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a hydrangea, two hydrangeas, or hydrangeas in the plural.
Patterns
- a hydrangea bush
- plant hydrangeas
- hydrangeas in bloom
She planted a hydrangea near the porch, and it bloomed all summer.
The hydrangeas in our yard turn blue when the soil is acidic.
He gave her a bouquet of pink hydrangeas for her birthday.
nouncountable
The flower or flower cluster of this bush, often used in bouquets.
Grammar: Countable: a single flower head is a hydrangea; several are hydrangeas.
Patterns
- a stem of hydrangeas
- arrange hydrangeas in a vase
The florist used white hydrangeas to fill out the centerpiece.
Each hydrangea was as big as a dinner plate.
Word forms
| plural | hydrangeas |
|---|
Common combinations
- hydrangea bush
- The hydrangea bush grew taller than the fence.
- blue hydrangea
- Blue hydrangeas need acidic soil to keep their color.
- pink hydrangea
- She prefers pink hydrangeas over white ones.
- hydrangea blooms
- The hydrangea blooms lasted until the first frost.
- plant hydrangeas
- We plan to plant hydrangeas along the driveway.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hortensia
- A less common name for the same plant, used especially in British English.
Commonly confused: hydrangea or geranium?
hydrangea vs geranium
A geranium is a different plant with smaller, often red or pink flowers, not the large round clusters of a hydrangea.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'hydrangea' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Hydrangea' is a plant, so you water it to help it grow. The other options describe actions or qualities that don't fit a plant.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hydrangea”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.