Schizophragma hydrangeoides

Common Name:
Japanese Hydrangea Vine

Description:
Schizophragma hydrangeoides, commonly known as the Japanese Hydrangea Vine, is a deciduous climbing plant prized for its hydrangea-like blooms and elegant growth habit. Native to Japan and Korea, this self-clinging climber is ideal for covering walls, fences, or tree trunks in cooler, shaded areas of Melbourne gardens. Its attractive, heart-shaped green leaves turn soft yellow in autumn, adding seasonal interest. In early to mid-summer, it produces flat clusters of creamy white flowers, each surrounded by showy, petal-like bracts that give it a delicate lacecap hydrangea appearance. Although slow to establish, it rewards patient gardeners with a graceful, textural display and thrives in moist, well-drained soil in part to full shade. Unlike true hydrangeas, Schizophragma attaches itself to surfaces via aerial roots, making it perfect for vertical greening in temperate gardens.

Form:
Climber

Mature Size:
Height: 8 – 12 m
Width: 3 – 5 m

Aspect:
Part Shade
Full Shade

Flowering:
Flowers in Summer

Flower Colour:
Creamy White

Key Attributes:
Perennial
Suitable for Espalier
Bee Attracting
Shade Tolerant
Low Maintenance once established

Toxicity:
No known toxicity to humans or animals

Companion Plants:
Hydrangea macrophylla
Hosta spp.
Ferns (e.g. Dryopteris spp.)
Brunnera macrophylla
Trillium spp.

For more information and photos of this species, Warners Nursery has detailed information available to the public here