Hydrangea macrophylla Schloss Wackerbarth

The Hydrangea macrophylla Schloss Wackerbarth is a captivating plant known for its unusual and vibrant colours. Its beautiful inflorescences, which take on a slightly flattened ball shape, start appearing in July. The flowers have a thick texture and are initially apple green but gradually turn pink-red or dark red as they mature. Even after the flowers have faded, they still look fascinating with their paper-like texture and extraordinary colours, complementing the foliage with a slightly reddish tint in autumn. This compact hydrangea has flexible and ramified stems. It is a versatile plant that can be grown in pots, used as a cut flower, or planted in shaded massifs along with bushes and perennials in similar colours.

The 'Schloss Wackerbarth' plant comes from Germany and was grown from a wild and unidentified seed. In 2014, it won an award for its unique flowering. It belongs to the Hydrangea family and is a hardy bush that grows from 1m (3 ft 4 in) to 1.20m (3 ft 11 in) in all directions. The plant has flexible branches that are well-ramified and produce many small flowers in July. These flowers are carried by blue-violet petioles and form dense bouquets. The flowers are bright apple-green pompons with a small bud in the centre that changes colour. The flower heads become bicolour, bright pink or magenta red, striped with lime green. Then, they evolve towards pink-violet, with red around the central bud, which becomes bluish before fading in early autumn. The plant has bright green, deciduous foliage, and the leaves are opposite, with a minimum of ten centimetres in length. They are single, ovate to elliptical, dentate, and end in a sharp point.

Hydrangeas are known for their excellent hardiness and can brighten up the north side of houses. This plant is easy to grow and suitable for borders and hedges. It is particularly suitable for container culture, prominently displayed on terraces or near entrances. Although this plant doesn't like limestone, it is not strictly an ericaceous plant. You can pair it with fuchsias magellanica, annual impatiens, or plant bulbs with spring flowers in front of their round silhouette. You can enjoy the magical flowers of 'Schloss Wackerbarth' for a long time in the garden or at home in bouquets.