Hydrangea paniculata Graffiti

Hydrangea paniculata 'Graffiti' ('Rensam') is a variety of paniculate hydrangea that is in vogue, which combines an extremely compact habit with a long, colour-changing flowering period, which appeals from summer until autumn. It is a small, hardy and colourful shrub requiring little maintenance, making it perfectly suited for decorating balconies and terraces, and very useful for arranging small spaces. We admire its many conical flower panicles from July, and the waltz of colours they host, changing from lime-green to white, then to pink and red with green veins, before drying beautifully. Superb in small flower beds, its flowers possess something magical in both dried and fresh floral compositions. 

Hydrangea paniculata, also known as Paniculate Hydrangea, is a species belonging to the Hydrangeaceae family native to the leafy woods of China and Japan. This mountain plant is particularly hardy and it better tolerates sunshine and even sea sprays than Hydrangea macrophylla. It is a species that is quite accommodating in terms of soil, only fearing soils that are too heavy, too calcareous or too dry.

The 'Graffiti' variety, recently obtained in the Netherlands, shows a low and stocky habit. The main branches are erect and stiff, while the secondary ones are barely arched. At maturity, this variety will not exceed 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in all directions. It is a plant with quite rapid growth. By July, numerous broadly conical and tightly packed panicles bloom at the end of all the young shoots; these measure 20 to 30 cm (7.9 to 11.8 in) long. They consist of numerous fertile, single florets, evolving from a lime-green shade to white then a mixture of green and cherry-red to pink shades, when planted in sunny exposure. This inflorescence, where a few tiny and fluffy sterile florets are mixed, barely bends the youngest branches. Its branches carry ovate leaves of a rather dark green colour, measuring 5 to 15 cm (2 to 5.9 in) long and 5 to 7 cm (2 to 2.8 in) wide, which are finely dentate along the edge. They turn yellow in autumn before disappearing in winter. Paniculate hydrangeas are less sensitive to late frosts as they generally flower on the shoots of the year.

When planted in any good garden soil without too much limestone, Hydrangea paniculata 'Graffiti' quickly becomes a pretty bush, without taking up too much space in a small garden. It is a particularly compact and endearing variety, which can be installed on its own, in a low hedge or flower bed, or even in light 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, or even with bronze fennel and hardy fuchsias. Its small stature naturally allows it to be grown without difficulty in a pot on the terrace, where it will live for many years, provided it receives regular watering and applications of fertiliser.