hydrangea

noun

hy·​dran·​gea hī-ˈdrān-jə 

: any of a genus (Hydrangea) of mostly shrubs having opposite leaves and showy clusters of usually sterile white, pink, or bluish flowers that is either placed in the saxifrage family or the hydrangea family (Hydrangeaceae)

Examples of hydrangea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There, limelight hydrangeas decorate a peaceful wedge above the hustle of summertime New York City, and Torres is smiling. — Nick Remsen, Vogue, 5 Aug. 2026

While there are many ways to preserve flowers, hydrangeas hold up best through drying, and according to florist Joanne Effinger, Garden Director at Bluepoint Hospitality in Easton, Maryland, there are a few tricks to get it right. — Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 31 July 2026

Coleus and hydrangea also have similar care needs, thriving in shady spots and consistently moist soil. — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 30 July 2026

New wood hydrangeas, like panicle and smooth hydrangeas, on the other hand, produce buds on new growth and are much more flexible about pruning. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 28 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, genus name, from Greek hydr- hydr- + New Latin -angēa, feminine derivative from Greek angeîon "vessel, container" — more at angio-

Note: The genus name dates from linnaeus's Species plantarum, vol. 1 (1753), p. 397. Linnaeus took the name from Jan Frederik Gronovius and John Clayton's Flora Virginica, pars prima (Leiden, 1739), p. 50. Since the 19th century the name Hydrangea, taken to mean "water vessel," is said to refer to the "cup-like form of the seed-capsule" (hence Oxford English Dictionary, first edition, 1899). However, Gronovius, presumably the immediate author of the text, gives no indication of the name's significance. He describes the fruit of Hydrangea arborescens as "a small two-chambered vessel filled with tiny seeds, crowned with two small threads or little horns bent backward" ("… vasculo parvo bicapsulari seminibus minutissimis repleto, duobus parvis filamentis seu corniculis recurvis cornato"). This accords well with pictures of the plant's small seed capsules, though it takes some imagination to see an individual capsule as a water vessel.

First Known Use

circa 1753, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hydrangea

noun

hy·​dran·​gea hī-ˈdrān-jə 

: any of a genus of shrubby plants with showy clusters of usually sterile white, pink, or bluish flowers

Medical Definition

hydrangea

noun

hy·​dran·​gea hī-ˈdrān-jə 

1

Hydrangea : a large genus of widely distributed shrubs and one woody vine that is either placed in the saxifrage family (Saxifragaceae) or is the type genus of a family (Hydrangeaceae, the hydrangea family) with opposite leaves and showy clusters of usually sterile white, pink, or bluish flowers

2

: any plant of the genus Hydrangea

3

: the dried rhizome and roots of the wild plant of the genus Hydrangea (H. arborescens) formerly used in pharmacy as a diuretic