(Hydrangeaceae)
Hydrangea aspera ssp. robusta  WWJ11888

Description

It was a huge surprise for Peter Wharton and myself, in the north of Vietnam, to discover this plant so far away from its centre of distribution in the Himalayas. The true and distinct plants, of this subspecies that has long been confused in cultivation, forming sizeable shrubs (6m) with age, clothed in the typical large (29 x 23 cm) paddle-shaped softly hairy leaves on distinctly long red petioles (20 cm), but having opened the substantial inflorescences of purple-blue flowers in September. Best grown with some shelter from strong winds in a moisture retentive, but drained soil in sun to light shade.