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Background

​​Native to the moist mountain woodlands, shady valleys, and coastal hillsides of Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu) and Taiwan.

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Formally named and described by botanists Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini in 1835. Live plants were introduced to Europe in the late 19th century, with famous cultivars like 'Hortensis' formally introduced to UK gardens around 1906.

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The double-flowered cultivar 'Hortensis' is the historic benchmark for the species, renowned for its soft peach-pink, rose-like sterile florets dangling over pale blue or mauve fertile blooms​​

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Cultivation

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• Position & Soil: Prefers partial shade to deep shade, strictly requiring shelter from midday sun and cold, drying winds that scorch its large, felty leaves. Thrives in humus-rich, moist, highly fertile, well-drained soil

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• Pruning: Flowers on the current season's wood/late-emerging growth shoots, but grows as a naturally compact, low dome (rarely exceeding 1m tall). Require minimal pruning—simply trim dead flower heads and damaged wood back to healthy buds in early spring.

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• Colour Note: Soil pH has a mild to moderate effect. The fertile central florets tend to shift toward pale blue/mauve in acidic, aluminum-rich soils and soft pink/cream in neutral-to-alkaline soils, while outer sterile florets generally retain their pastel cream or soft blush shades.

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• Propagation: Propagated via softwood cuttings taken in late spring or early summer from non-flowering shoots. The felted stems require careful moisture management (avoiding overly wet foliage) and high humidity with gentle bottom heat to root successfully.​​​​