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Background

​​​Native to the damp, cool mountain forests of Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Sakhalin Island (Russia). 

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Hydrangea petiolaris was first formally described by German botanist Philipp Franz von Siebold and his associate Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini in 1835 following Siebold's botanical expeditions to Japan Introduced to Western cultivation  around 1878.

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However, live specimens were not introduced into Western cultivation until 1878. The plant was first brought into the UK via the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

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Cultivation

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• Position & Soil: Exceptionally versatile. Thrives on difficult north- or east-facing walls where few other flowering plants flourish, though will be fine in full sun if soil remains moist. Prefers deep, fertile, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil. Self-clings to masonry and bark via aerial rootlets once established

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• Pruning: Prune in summer immediately after flowering. Cut back outwardly growing shoots that stick out from the supporting wall to maintain a tidy, flat profile.

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• Colour Note: Flower colour is unaffected by soil pH; lacecap heads emerge creamy-white and fade to tan-brown in autumn.

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• Propagation: Propagates easily by stem layering (pinning low-growing stems directly into the soil) in late spring. Can also be propagated via semi-ripe nodal stem cuttings taken in mid-to-late summer under high humidity.​​​​