DROUGHT TOLERANCE OF HYDRANGEA L. SPECIES DEPENDING ON GENOTYPE AND GROWING CONDITIONS
Abstract
Purpose. To evaluate the drought tolerance of hydrangea species and cultivars to identify the most resilient taxa for use in landscaping under conditions of variable moisture in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. The drought tolerance of species and cultivars of the genus Hydrangea L. was assessed during 2021–2024 under field conditions at Uman National University and the National Dendrological Park “Sofiyivka” of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Climatic conditions during the study period varied significantly in terms of moisture availability and temperature regime, providing contrasting conditions for assessing plant responses to drought-induced stress. Results. The study presents results of assessing drought tolerance in hydrangea species and cultivars under variable climatic conditions during the growing season. The investigated genotypes demonstrated a relatively high level of tolerance to water deficit. Under arid conditions in 2022 and 2023, with hydrothermal coefficient values of 0.8 and 0.6, respectively, wilting and partial leaf shedding were observed; however, most genotypes maintained a high level of viability. The highest drought tolerance was observed in H. quercifolia ‘Alice’ (4.5 score) and H. paniculata ‘Diamant Rouge’ (4.3 score). Lower drought tolerance was recorded in H. arborescens ‘Annabelle’, H. macrophylla ‘Nikko Blue’, and H. macrophylla ‘Alpenglühen’, with scores of 3.0–3.5. Correlation and regression analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between the hydrothermal coefficient and the plant drought tolerance index, with a coefficient of determination (R² = 0.9113), indicating that 91.1% of the variation in drought tolerance is explained by hydrothermal conditions. The results confirm the potential use of the studied genotypes in breeding programs and in landscaping of regions with insufficient moisture under current climate change conditions.
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