Hydrangea involucrata Late Love

Hydrangea involucrata 'Late Love' is very different from the large-leaved hydrangeas (macrophylla) of our grandmothers. Its large rounded flower buds resemble peonies, then they open into flat and airy inflorescences of a beautiful size, with a blue-mauve centre and white on the periphery, a colour that is independent of the soil it grows in. They bloom in late summer, from August to October, on an original foliage that is dark green, embossed and soft to the touch. Very hardy, not very tall, it is perfectly suited for small gardens and growing in pots. Unlike many hydrangeas, it tolerates slightly chalky soils, but it absolutely requires a shaded exposure.

Hydrangea involucrata or dwarf hydrangea, from the Hydrangeaceae family, is native to the humid high-altitude forests of Japan and Taiwan. It stands out for its small size but also because its flowering occurs on the new shoots of the year and not on one-year-old wood like Hydrangea macrophylla. This means that even if the stems are destroyed by severe, even late frost, the plant will develop new shoots from the base and its flowering will not be affected. As an adult, the bush is hardy up to about -15°C (5 °F).

'Late Love' is probably the result of a cross-breeding between Hydrangea involucrata 'Yoraku' and wild H. involucrata. This splendid variety surprises with the size of its inflorescences, which can reach 20cm (7.9in) wide. The plant forms a small bush slightly taller than wide, about 1.20m (3ft 11in) in height and 1m (3ft 4in) in spread. The characteristic flower buds of this hydrangea are globose, the size of peony buds. The beautiful plateau-shaped inflorescences of 'Late Love' hydrangea bloom in abundance, from August to October, more or less early depending on the climate. They are composed of many small fertile flowers in blue-mauve buds, gathered in a central disk, surrounded by a few much larger sterile florets, pure white, carried by long peduncles. The foliage, a beautiful dark green, covered with many short hairs, falls in autumn. It consists of oval leaves measuring about 8-10cm (3.1-3.9in) long by 6-8cm (2.4-3.1in) wide, finely toothed at the edges, strongly veined and with a embossed appearance.

Hydrangea involucrata 'Late Love' requires a cool atmosphere, plant it in partial shade or shade that is not too dense, in a location protected from cold and dry winds, in a slightly compact, slightly acidic, neutral or even slightly chalky soil. This variety, which blooms while others are already fading, extends the flowering period of hydrangeas. Plant it at the edge of a woodland, in the back of a border, under tall trees or near a shaded wall of the house. It can be accompanied by ferns, hostas, knotweeds, and Thalictrums.