Hydrangea
Genus of 80 or more species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs and climbers – rarely trees. Grown mainly for their large, showy flower heads, many hydrangeas also have ornamental, flaky, peeling bark when mature, and attractive foliage with good autumn colour.

The leaves are broadly to narrowly ovate, or lance-shaped, toothed, and either opposite or in whorls of 3. The flat, domed, or conical, terminal flower heads comprise corymbs or panicles of both tiny fertile flowers and larger sterile flowers with showy, petal-like sepals.

Grow in moist but well-drained, moderately fertile, humus-rich soil in sun or partial shade; provide shelter from cold, drying winds. Some hydrangeas become chlorotic in shallow chalk soil.

'Annabelle'
Bears large, spherical flower heads, 20cm (8in) across, of mainly sterile flowers.

Source: The Royal Horticultural Society "A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants A-J", page 552/553.

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Flowering time: June to September

Height: 1.25m

See Glossary of Terms for definitions

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