Hydrangea 'Runaway Bride'

Common Name:
Hydrangea 'Runaway Bride'

Description:
Hydrangea 'Runaway Bride' is an exceptional, award-winning variety known for its unique flowering habit, producing blooms not only at the tips of its branches but also along the entire length of each stem. This creates a cascading effect of pristine white lacecap flowers, giving the plant a bridal veil appearance throughout the flowering season. Bred in Japan and celebrated globally, this variety is a standout performer in both garden beds and containers. In Melbourne's temperate climate, 'Runaway Bride' thrives in part shade with protection from the harshest afternoon sun and benefits from rich, well-drained soil with regular moisture. It blooms prolifically from late spring through summer, with its elegant blooms ageing to a soft blush pink as the season progresses. Its compact, graceful form and extended flowering make it an ideal choice for those wanting a romantic, floriferous statement in shaded borders, understorey plantings, or decorative pots on patios and balconies.

Form:
Shrub - Small
Shrub - Clumping / Grass-like / Mounding

Mature Size:
Height: 0.8–1 m
Width: 1–1.2 m

Aspect:
Part Shade
Full Shade (with bright indirect light)

Flowering:
Flowers in Spring
Flowers in Summer

Flower Colour:
White (maturing to blush pink)

Key Attributes:
Suitable for Pots
Bee Attracting
Perennial
Suitable for Hedging (low informal borders)
Award-winning variety (RHS Plant of the Year 2018)

Toxicity:
Mildly toxic to humans and pets if ingested – may cause gastrointestinal upset. All parts of the plant contain cyanogenic glycosides.

Companion Plants:
Hosta
Heuchera
Astilbe
Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa)
Ferns
Camellia sasanqua (for structural backdrop)