Position: sun to partial shade
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
Rate of growth: slow at first, then medium
Flowering period: early summer
Hardiness: fully hardy

A star plant, this climbing hydrangea thrives in some of the most shady, inhospitable areas of the garden. Slow to establish, it will eventually romp along a wall or fence, clinging by aerial roots. Its almost heart-shaped, variegated leaves turn yellow in autumn, and masses of showy, lacy, white flowerheads appear in late spring and early summer.
 
Garden care: Plant in moist, fertile soil and do not allow the soil to dry out while the plant is getting established. This hydrangea flowers on the previous season’s wood, so if you need to prune it back, do so in late autumn or early spring, but be warned that this will restrict flowering the following year.