Buy Platycrater arguta

This graceful flowing plant is new to the hydrangea world. White flowers surround a buttery yellow center unlike any hydrangea we have seen. Leaves are slender and sturdy and a glorious background to the flowers. Native to both SE China near to Shanghai and also Shikoku in Japan., hardiness is most likely 7-9. Prefers part shade, great yellow winter foilage. Grows 2-3'

An unusual Asian hydrangea relative that has quietly won us over by growing larger each year and consistently flowering under a regime which could only be generously described as one of benign neglect. This makes a small broadly rounded twiggy deciduous shrub to 2'-3' in the garden although older specimens in the wild are said to get to 5'. Narrow willow-like green leaves with small teeth along the margins combine well with the late summer-fall small white flowers. The 4-petaled fertile flowers have a prominent yellow button of stamens which the infertile flowers lack. We have seen accounts of this growing well in North Carolina and southern Indiana. This will be happiest in light shade or part eastern sun. Platycrater hails from southeastern China in provinces near to Shanghai and also from Shikoku in Japan. These two geographical populations are separated by some authorities based on hairs on the leaf underside and we are making a note to self to take the hand lens to a leaf as soon as we can. Why not now you ask? How can you leave us hanging in such suspense? It is winter as we type this and there are no leaves but we will get to it asap!

Great name, imagine a silvery platypus smashed flat by a meteor, got a mental image, well chuck it, this is different, more like a cross between a Hydrangea and a Deutzia. A monotypic, (can you believe it) hydrangea relative from Shikoku, with flat clusters of four petaled white flowers, the fertile ones with a powderpuff of yellow stamens in the center.