Hydrangea luteovenosa
sweet hydrangea
A small, deciduous shrub up to 1m high and 1.5m wide, with dark purplish-brown spreading and arching stems and elliptical, often purple-tinged green leaves. The flowerheads are produced in summer and consist of small white to yellow fertile flowers, surrounded by a few white, sterile florets
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
1–1.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Purple Brown | Purple Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Brown Purple | White Yellow | Green Purple | |
| Autumn | Brown Purple | Purple Green | ||
| Winter | Brown Purple |
Position
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or North–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H4Botanical details
- Family
- Hydrangeaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Spreading branched
- 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
Correct
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
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, capsid bug and hydrangea scale
Diseases
May be susceptible to a leaf spot, powdery mildews, grey moulds (Botrytis) and honey fungus (rarely)
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