Analysis of the Impact of Climatic Conditions on Floral Transformation in Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Leuchtfeuer’

Abstract

Hydrangea macrophylla is a horticultural plant of considerable commercial interest that has been widely studied with the aim to more effectively control the different stages of its development during production. However, although floral transformation is a key factor underlying the commercial quality of the product, it remains difficult to control despite these efforts. The floral transformation sequence consists of three successive phases: floral induction (B1), floral evocation (B2), and floral organogenesis (B3). The first is a phase of vegetative organogenesis without elongation leading to the formation of a bud composed of eight phytomer primordia under inductive climatic conditions. This work shows that climatic conditions favorable to floral transformation must be continuously applied without interruption throughout phase B1 to ensure the formation of the floral bud in Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Leuchtfeuer’. In the opposite case, floral transformation is stopped and vegetative growth begins once again.