Hydrangea macrophylla Tricolor

Of extreme delicacy, Hydrangea macrophylla 'Tricolor' is a variety of Hydrangea with foliage variegated with bright green, cream, and yellow. At the end of July, its beautiful flat, irregular, and light inflorescences appear, first pale pink or very pale blue in acidic soil, turning pale mauve with age. It is a vigorous bush, comfortable in hedges and flower beds, to brighten up an understorey or a dark corner in the garden. It will thrive in partial shade or even in a sunny exposure. This variety blooms until autumn.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Tricolor', initially named 'Variegata', is an old creation, obtained in 1843, which has a unique and endearing personality. It comes from H. macrophylla and H. aspera, among others. The Hydrangea family is native to China and Japan. 'Tricolor' is part of a series of "Lacecap" cultivars selected for their flat cymose inflorescences. This bush has a rather round and regular habit. It reaches a height of approximately 1.50m with a spread of 1.20m (4ft). From late July to October-November , its small fertile and sterile flowers, with striking dimorphism, form irregular and very natural-looking spherical inflorescences 18 to 22cm in diameter. They are composed of a sparsely arranged row of sterile florets, blue or pale pink depending on the soil acidity, surrounding a beautiful central bouquet of darker fertile florets. The flowering spreads over magnificent foliage, wavy, irregularly variegated with green, cream, and yellow. The variegation will be more pronounced in very poor soil. The leaves are opposite, reaching at least fifteen centimetres in length. They are simple, ovate to elliptical, ending in a tapered point, almost entire. Hydrangeas can live for at least 50 years.

The 'Tricolor' Hydrangea is a refined plant but with a very natural appearance. Hydrangeas are well known for brightening up the north side of houses. This one will even thrive in the sun, in a non-burning exposure, in flower beds as well as hedges. It can easily be associated with other flowering shrubs, such as deciduous azaleas, mountain laurels, small magnolias, or rhododendrons in acidic soil. Although Hydrangeas fear limestone, they are not strictly speaking ericaceous plants. Also, mix them with Magellan fuchsias, annual impatiens, or plant spring-flowering bulbs in front of their round silhouette. Enjoy their sumptuous flowering in the garden or in the house for a long time.