Hydrangea paniculata Early Harry

Hydrangea paniculata Early Harry is an original and delicate variety of paniculate hydrangea that also stands out for its particularly early flowering. This vigorous and rather slender shrub, equipped with dark red young stems, produces panicles of white flowers with delicate architecture in the shape of pagodas, which become quite pink over time. It will find its place in a hedge or a large, rather sunny massif. Cultivation in a large pot is also possible.

Hydrangea paniculata, also called Paniculate Hydrangea, is a species of hydrangea belonging to the Hydrangeaceae family native to the leafy woods of China and Japan. It is a particularly hardy plant that is not very demanding in terms of soil. This shrub is easy to grow in any good garden soil, even soil with a little limestone, provided it remains a little moist even in summer. It has given rise to a beautiful range of cultivars of all sizes and varied flowers.

Hydrangea paniculata Early Harry 'HPOPR018' is a horticultural creation by Harry van Trier dating from before 2017. This variety is the result of cross-breeding with the 'Daruma' variety. Like 'Early Sensation' and 'Wim's Red', it belongs to the varieties of early-flowering Hydrangea paniculata. The shrub shows a medium development and a more upright habit than most other paniculata varieties. At maturity, this variety will reach about 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) and even up to 2.3 m (7 ft 6 in) in height for 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) to 1.75 m (5 ft 8 in) in width. From mid-June, numerous pyramidal flower panicles, with staggered branching, blossom on the year's shoots. They contain numerous small fertile florets and a few larger sterile florets, evolving from cream-white to a more and more vivid pink as they age. From spring, the reddish shoots bear finely dentate, ovate leaves of a fairly light green colour, 5 to 12 cm (2 to 4.7 in) long and 5 to 6 cm wide. They turn yellow in autumn before disappearing in winter. Paniculate hydrangeas are less sensitive to late frosts, as they mostly bloom on the year's shoots. This variety will withstand -20 °C (-4 °F), or even below. 

Hydrangea paniculata Early Harry differs from its cousins, the large-leaved hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) by its good tolerance to sun, sea spray and relative drought. Installed in well-loosened garden soil without too much limestone, in a few seasons this shrub forms a beautiful specimen with abundant flowers for three months. Install it alone, in a hedge or in a massif, or even in clear undergrowth, mixed with other hydrangeas and perpetual roses to play with contrasts and shapes. You can also combine it with grasses such as Miscanthus, Panicum virgatum Squaw and Stipa. It can also be grown in a large pot on the terrace, with regular applications of fertiliser and watering.