Hydrangea aspera subsp. sargentiana

294-146D4 Hydrangea aspera subsp. sargentiana
Joy Creek Photo Archive (c) all rights reserved	Ernest Wilson introduced Hydrangea aspera subsp. sargentiana in 1908 from his collections in Hubei, China. This small tree or large shrub is highly ornamental. The sturdy stems are finely haired, as are the leaf petioles. The leaves can measure up to a foot in length and about eight inches in width. The flowerheads form flattened lacecaps with fuzzy interior rosy-pink fertile flowers surrounded by a ring of larger, 4- to 5-sepaled ray flowers. As the shrub matures, the older bark becomes shaggy and is especially attractive in the winter after the leaves have fallen. Even though it takes several years for this to come to bloom, it is well worth the wait. Photo courtesy of Tamara Paulat. Late summer to autumn. 10 ft. x 7 ft. White/Pink flowers *Sun, Part Shade Zones 7, 8*