Normally grown as a climber, four of these beautiful hydrangeas will grow against the back wall. However, a fifth specimen is very special – a self-supporting Hydrangea petiolaris stands proudly on its own in the front of the garden. These plants represent the 1 in 5 people who are neurodivergent.
A star plant, this climbing hydrangea thrives in some of the most shady, inhospitable areas of the garden. Slow to establish, it will eventually romp along a wall or fence, clinging by aerial roots. Its almost heart-shaped, dark green leaves turn yellow in autumn, and masses of showy, lacy, white flowerheads appear in late spring and early summer.