Hydrangea macrophylla Rendez-Vous Choco Chic

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Choco Chic' is part of a series of recent French creations, each more original than the last, ideal for personalising your decor, both in the garden and indoors. Throughout summer, this hydrangea forms black stems that bear flat inflorescences adorned with small white flowers whose petioles are a very bright red. The abundant and regular flowering occurs on large, toothed, dark green foliage. This unique hydrangea fits well in small gardens as well as on a terrace with a contemporary style, to brighten a shaded area, in moist and non-calcareous soil.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Choco Chic' is an unusual hydrangea with black and sturdy stems. It is the result of cross-breeding between H. macrophylla and H. aspera, among others. All these hardy plants belong to the Hydrangeaceae family and originate from China and Japan. 'Choco Chic' is part of a series of cultivars selected for their sturdy stems, floribundity, and suitability for cultivation in both open ground and indoors. This bush has a compact and rounded, regular, and elegant habit. At maturity, it reaches about 1m (3ft) in all directions, with moderate growth. From June to September-October, its small fertile and sterile flowers form medium-sized flat inflorescences (10 to 12cm (4 to 5in)). They consist of an outer crown of white florets, whose petals resemble sugared almonds, surrounding a heart of fertile florets in small white-greenish buds. The originality of this variety also lies in the small fluorescent red petioles that bear each floret. The flowering extends over shiny, dark green, deciduous foliage. The wide leaves are opposite, reaching a minimum length of about 10cm (4in). They are simple, ovate, ending in a pointed tip, and are coarsely toothed like a saw. Hydrangeas can live for at least 50 years.

'Choco Chic' is ideal as a showcase plant in the garden, on a terrace, or in the house. Hydrangeas are well known for brightening up the north side of houses. This one will thrive in a non-burning east or west exposure, in full sun or partial shade, in beds as well as in isolation. This variety is particularly suitable for container cultivation, which can be placed in a beautiful pot on a terrace or near an entrance. Even though these plants dislike calcareous soil, they are not strictly acid-loving plants. Pair them with Magellan fuchsias or annual impatiens, or plant spring-flowering bulbs in front of their round silhouette. Enjoy their sumptuous flowering for a long time in the garden or in the house.