Hydrangea Involucrata
Charming species native of Taiwan and Japan, where it grows wild in some regions of the island of Honshu. It was introduced into Europe in the early 1900s. A deciduous shrub, it grows in woods and mixed forests, from sea level to 1500m.
Its name derives from the involucre, composed of six downy bracts, that contains the flower buds and forms a little ball (“tama” in Japanese).
The leaves are dull green and roughly hairy.
H.involucrata is a small shrub, seldom higher than 1m, but it is a real beauty in all its varieties and particularly interesting for both its flowering time ( from August up to fall) and the extraordinary length of the same. N.B.:
• A shady position is fundamental for this plant, as the sun may cause burning damages to the leaves, starting from the margin.
• It is a good habit to leave the dried flowers on the plant in winter, as they contribute to protect the flower buds from the cold.