Hydrangea aspera (Villosa Group) 'Velvet and Lace'

RHS Plant Profile

rough-leaved hydrangea 'Velvet and Lace'

Other common names

hydrangea 'Velvet and Lace', Sargent hydrangea

Shrubs

Buy this from Plant Nurseries
4 Suppliers

A large deciduous shrub to around 2m high, with long, lance-shaped green leaves that are softly hairy beneath. Produces large, slightly domed flower heads to 22cm in width in late summer, with small, bluish purple flowers in the centre and larger pale mauve-pink sterile florets around the outside

Position

Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

1.5-2.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 1.5-2.5 metres
Max Height: 1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or North–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H5

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Hydrangeaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats): Harmful if eaten. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Hydrangea can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, or self-clinging climbers, with flowers in clusters usually comprising both small fertile and more showy sterile flowers; often good autumn colour
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in any moist but well-drained soil in partial shade or grow in sun if soil remains reliably moist. Improve chalky soils with organic matter to support good growth. See shrubby hydrangea cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer, or by hardwood cuttings in winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

See pruning group 4 (hydrangeas)

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, capsid bug, red spider mite, stem and bulb eelworm, vine weevil and scale insects

Diseases

May be susceptible to a leaf spot, powdery mildews, grey moulds (Botrytis) and honey fungus (rarely)