Merry meet,
Here in the week before Litha most of the spring flowers are making way for summer blooms. The tulips and daffodils have moved on so the iris and roses and can their place. I thought I’d continue the plant series to give some love to one of my favorite summer flowers. Let’s talk hydrangeas!
All About Hydrangeas
Hydrangea is a genus with many types of flowers - according to Wikipedia, there are over 70 varieties of hydrangeas out there. These are sometimes broken down into categories. My mother, who is a gardener, claims to have at least one of each of the eight types of hydrangeas. So I guess they are collectable! Hydrangeas are native to North America and parts of Asia.
They are generally considered to be a fast-growing shrub whose flowers come in a delightful range of colors. I’ve seen hydrangeas from pale blue to intense purple, pink to almost red to a blank white. The color depends on the variety or hydrangea and the nutrients in the soil.
The name “Hydrangrea” supposedly comes from Greek with hydra- for “water” and -ngea for “vessel”, together meaning “water vessel” in English. This may be inspired by the shape of the flower heads.
Not Edible? Or Immortali-tea?
When it comes to consumption, standard advice is that hydrangeas are not edible and are toxic to pets.
Hydrangeas are moderately toxic if eaten, with all parts of the plant containing cyanogenic glycosides.[30] Hydrangea paniculata is reportedly sometimes smoked as an intoxicant, despite the danger of illness and/or death due to the cyanide. From Wikipedia: Hydrangea
The threat of death doesn’t make it very delicious, if you ask me. I won’t be consuming it anytime soon. Having said that, there are situations where hydrangea has been processed for consumption or used in traditional medicines.
In parts of Asia, certain varieties/parts of the hydrangea plant are used to make herbal teas.
→ “Ama-cha” is a Japanese tea made from hydrangea leaves. It is used in a special Buddhist ceremony to recreate the ritual of nine dragons (sometimes one dragon with nine heads depending on the story) giving immortality to Buddha when he was born.
In Japan, ama-cha (甘茶), meaning sweet tea, is another herbal tea made from Hydrangea serrata , whose leaves contain a substance that develops a sweet taste (phyllodulcin). For the fullest taste, fresh leaves are crumpled, steamed, and dried, yielding dark brown tea leaves. Ama-cha is mainly used for kan-butsu-e (the Buddha bathing ceremony) on April 8 every year—the day thought to be Buddha’s birthday in Japan. During the ceremony, ama-cha is poured over a statue of Buddha and served to people in attendance. A legend has it that on the day Buddha was born, nine dragons poured Amrita over him; ama-cha is substituted for Amrita in Japan. From Wikipedia: Hydrangea
Several sources I found mentioned hydrangea being used in traditional medicine for urinary issues such as bladder stones.
People use hydrangea for bladder infections, prostate infections, enlarged prostate, kidney stones, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. Hydrangea might also be unsafe when used in large amounts.
The chemicals in hydrangea may cause increased urine output, which could help some urinary tract problems. From WebMD: Hydrangea
The Highland’s Botantical Cherokee Garden list has hydrangea bark down as a traditional aid for various ailments.
Hydrangea, 7 Bark (Di dŭnalŭwŏski) - Hydrangea arborescens - Inner bark tea sooths vomiting in children, bark poultice for sore or swollen muscles From: Cherokee Garden PDF
All in all, if you wish to consume hydrangea in some form of traditional tea or medicine, I would highly suggest getting it from a trustworthy source, doing lots of research, and checking with a trusted doctor and/or herbalist before consuming. Better safe than sorry! Herbs and plants are wonderful but also very powerful and can be dangerous.
Hydrangea Meanings
While eating or drinking hydrangea can be risky, they are safe from afar. They are also loaded with meaning and carry some very intriguing messages!
Like most flowers, the spiritual or deeper meanings of hydrangeas can vary from one culture or tradition to the next. There’s also the color to consider. In fact, with hydrangeas coming in so many eye-catching shades, it looks like the color of the hydrangea may have even more sway over the interpretation that the flower itself.
Blue Hydrangeas: Love & Apologies
To the Japanese, hydrangeas symbolize heartfelt emotion, gratitude, and apology. This comes from a legend about a Japanese emperor who neglected his true love because of his royal duties. To apologize and show his continuing love for her, he is said to have sent a bunch of hydrangeas to her. The flowers he sent were blue. This is why the blue hydrangea meaning became one of apology. From Gardening Know How: Hydrangeas
Pink Hydrangeas: Heartfelt Messages
The given meaning of pink hydrangeas is popularly tied to the phrase “you are the beat of my heart,” as described by the celebrated Korean florist Tan Jun Yong, who was quoted saying, “The light delicate blush of the petals reminds me of a beating heart, while the size could only match the heart of the sender!” From Wikipedia: Hydrangea
White Hydrangea: Purity
Most sources focus on the vibrant shades of blue and pink, but there were a few brief mentions of white hydrangeas following the usual association of white flowers with purity. This is pretty standard and aligns with the magickal uses of white for cleansing, having a clear mind/heart, and space for new beginnings. It’s a very open and honest flower to grow or gift.
Victorian Hydrangeas: Pride & Vanity
While Asia seems to associate honest feelings with hydrangeas, Europe didn’t get such a good impression from these puffy plants. To some, hydrangea = pompous.
The language of flowers expressed through Victorian floral arrangements and flower color symbolism was a popular study in Britain and Europe in this era. In Europe, hydrangeas, with their lavish blooms, came to be seen as “prideful” plants, associated with boastfulness, bragging, and vanity. From Gardening Know How: Hydrangeas
Looking at hydrangea symbolism, it’s clear that picking out bouquets of this flower is best done mindfully. Keeping the color in mind (as well as any cultural context where relevant) can help you design a lovely bouquet, offering, or gift that is overflowing with meaning and puffy blossoms.
Hydrangea Correspondences
The following correspondences are suggestions based on the blooming season and associations of lilacs. Please also consider any personal associations you may have.
Season: Late Spring, Summer
Sabbat: Litha
Elements: Water 
Zodiacs: Gemini, Cancer, Leo
Deities: Buddha
Magickal Uses of Hydrangea
The many shades of hydrangeas bring a lot of fun and many options to using this flower in your Craft. Pink or reddish varieties with their association to romance would be great in love spells, especially for confessions (or encouraging a confession). Blue is more serene and sincere and may be helpful in reconciliation spells or to mend broken relationships. White hydrangea could enhance your home cleansing magick by helping to clear the space.
All hydrangeas make a bountiful offerings to place on an altar or shrine. Their folklore ties them specifically to the Buddha and to dragons, but as a seasonal bloom they would be appropriate for many deities of summer. Their appearance and namesake as a “water vessel” makes them a good choice for drought fighting spells and rituals for rain.
As a ritual substitute for Amrita (immortality), hydrangea may be used in spells to elongate one’s life or to evade death. It’s associations with pride could be easily worked in to a spell to boost one’s self confidence.
More Herbal Magick
Ready for more plant lore and green witchery? Here are some more plants you may find interesting.
Do you like hydrangeas? Have you ever used them in spellwork?
Feel free to share your spell experiences, advice, and wisdom with fellow coven members in the comments below.
Blessed be and happy almost Litha! 
