HYDRANGEA SARGENTIANA

Hydrangea sargentiana 

Commonly known as the 'Bigleaf Hydrangea' or 'Sargent's Hydrangea', Hydrangea sargentiana (correctly classified as Hydrangea aspera subsp. sargentiana) is a upright medium-sized deciduous shrub of open habit. Native to China. it was introduced to western science in 1908 by E. H. Wilson (1876-1930) from a plant collecting trip on behalf of the Arnold Arboretum, Boston, Massachusetts. . The species name is in honour of Charles Sprague Sargent (1841-1927), director of the Arnold Arboretum.

Botanical illustration of Hydrangea sargentiana

Under favourable conditions you can expect Hydrangea sargentiana to achieve a height and spread of between 1.5-3 metres. The dark green leathery leaves can be up to 45 cm long and the shoots are thickly clothed with an unusual moss-like covering of hair and bristles. As the stems age the bark will begin to peel.

The large, flattened, lacecap-type flower clusters can be up to 20 cm in diameter, appearing in July and August. The clusters are composed of small, blue to purple-violet, fertile flowers surrounded by white ray-flowers.

It is a winter hardy specimen and suitable for a sheltered shrub border or woodland. To keep the blooms in optimum condition Hydrangea sargentiana will requires both partial-shade and wind protection. Hydrangea sargentiana will perform best grown in a rich, moist, well-drained soil. It will tolerate a position of full sun but only if soil remains constantly moist throughout the summer. Be aware than in alkaline soils the flower colour will fade to a pink or purple-pink.

Hydrangea sargentiana received the Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1912 and the Award of Garden Merit in 1984.

Main image credit: Андрей Корзун (Kor!An) licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

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