Hydrangea villosa

Hydrangea villosa   –   Rough Leaf Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are a shade loving plant that flower through summer and autumn.

This is a very unusual species* of hydrangea with hard leathery leaves that are long and narrow deep green which have a deciduous habit. Blooms are a brilliant mixture of colours with fertile flowers in the centre pink buds that open to blueish lilac with large white outer ray flowers on a shade loving shrub to 1.5 meters.

*There is some debate about whether to deem this plant a species, or put it and its cultivars as a grouping under Hydrangea aspera (known as the Villosa Group). Genetic evidence seems to support differences that are significant enough to warrant a species designation, so we have retained H. villosa until everyone makes up their mind!