The Subnetwork Hydrangea was founded in 2016 as the first subnetwork of the Gene Bank for Vegetatively Propagated Ornamentals. The foundation stone was laid with the project "Morphological recording, verification and documentation of the genetic resources of Hydrangea within the German Gene Bank for Ornamentals", funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity.

As part of the project, 640 Hydrangea accessions were verified and recorded by the Technische Universität (TU) Dresden and the data published in the DGZ database.

The final report on the project can be downloaded from the project organiser's website at the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) under the funding code 2815BE005 (BLE - Project funding - Project search).

In connection with the project, it became clear how important a network of breeders, collectors and experts is for the long-term preservation of old, rare or important Hydrangea species and varieties as well as the cultural and historical knowledge about them. Since its foundation, the Subnetwork Hydrangea has been coordinated by the Botanical Garden of the TU Dresden under the direction of Prof Dr Christoph Neinhuis. All collection-keeping and supporting partners of the subnetwork are in regular dialogue with each other.

If you are interested in plant material or a partnership, or if you have any questions about the Subnetwork Hydrangea, please contact the coordination centre: