Everything about climbing hydrangeas: from planting to propagating and different varieties. With expert advice on the toxicity and care of the climbing hydrangea.
Climbing Hydrangeas (Hydrangea anomala sbsp. petiolaris) are becoming increasingly popular. That's no wonder, because the self-climber is not only easy to care for, but also tolerates forests and shady places and ensures blooming decoration in a variety of ways - for example as a green facade, as a colorful privacy screen or as a summer green bee pasture.
Climbing hydrangeas: characteristics and peculiarities
Like ivy (Hedera helix), the climbing hydrangea is a so-called self-climber, which uses adhesive roots to hold onto rough surfaces. This means that it can climb 10 - 15 meters in height with adhesive roots without a climbing aid. The climbing beauty can not only grow upwards, but is extremely diverse in its growth. For example, if there is no climbing opportunity, it can also be cultivated as ground cover, freestanding or around tree trunks.
The plant, originally from Taiwan, Korea and Japan, is now well established in our latitudes. The climbing hydrangea turns facades into real eye-catchers. However, you need a little patience, because the climbing plant only begins to flower after five to eight years. The inflorescences appear in the form of flat, up to 25 cm long umbrella panicles. These consist of small, hermaphroditic, four- to five-fold flowers and the peripheral, sterile, white, approximately 3 cm large show flowers. The flowers appear between June and July and attract important insects such as bumblebees, bees or butterflies with their sweet scent.
The climbing hydrangea doesn't just take its time for the flowers, their growth is also slow at first. In the first few years, its growth rate is lower, but later it can grow up to one meter per year if the site conditions are good. The leaves of the deciduous ornamental plant aredark green, arranged opposite and have a rounded to ovoid shape. A special feature of the climbing hydrangea is that it tolerates both frost and shade. So it can be used perfectly in locations that are not suitable for many other plants.
Climbing Hydrangea Varieties
Currently, the selection of different varieties of climbing hydrangea is still very clear. Below are the main varieties currently on the market.
Climbing Hydrangea Varieties:
- 'Miranda': About 3 m high, creamy-white flowering variety; green leaves framed in pastel yellow.
- 'Cordifolia': dwarf shrub with heart-shaped leaves; smaller, slower growth up to 2 m in height.
- 'Silver Lining': Grows up to 3 m tall, light green leaves with a white-silver border, white flowers.
- 'Semiola': new breed that keeps its leaves in mild winters; copper-red shoots and white flowers.
Note Evergreen Climbing Hydrangeas: For most climbing hydrangea varieties, the leaves will begin to turn bright yellow in the fall before falling. However, there are now also evergreen varieties. This includes, for example, the above-mentioned variety 'Semiola'. This new variety retains its leaves in mild winters and is particularly beautiful to look at because of its copper-red shoots.
Planting climbing hydrangeas: location and procedure
When planting the climbing hydrangea, the most important thing is the location and the right approach.
Where to plant climbing hydrangeas?
As a forest plant, the climbing hydrangea prefers cool, moist soil and semi-shady locations. But even in deep shade or in full sun, the plant can still show satisfactory growth with appropriate care. Because the climbing hydrangea prefers to root in humus-rich, permeable and moist soil that is not compacted and has an acidic to neutral pH value. Soil that is too sandy or too clayey should be improved with a humus-rich potting soil such as our Plantura organic acidic soil. The lime-avoiding climbing hydrangea is particularly well-suited to its acidic pH value and low peat content, as it receives an even supply of water and nutrients.
If possible, we recommend placing the climbing hydrangea in a wind-protected location.
Tip: Young climbing hydrangeas aresensitive to late frosts and excessive solar radiation. Leaf damage caused by "sunburn" is not uncommon.
Instructions: How to plant your climbing hydrangea
It is very likely that the climbing hydrangea is in the pot in which it was pre-cultivated before it is planted out. If the contents of the pot are dry, it is a good idea to put them in a water bath for about 10 minutes before planting them out. This allows the root ball to soak up water beforehand. You can then remove the plant from the pot and place it in the previously prepared planting hole.
Since the climbing hydrangea tends to have roots that are close to the surface and wide, the planting hole can be dug shallow, but all the wider. Make sure that the soil below is permeable so that water can drain off easily - the climbing hydrangea does not like waterlogging. Now it is also a good idea to enrich the excavated soil with acidic potting soil such as our Plantura organic acidic soil and hydrangea fertilizer. Thanks to its long-term effect, our Plantura organic hydrangea fertilizer provides all the important nutrients that hydrangeas need to grow over many months. Only sustainable raw materials are used, not animal residues from meat production.
The plant is then planted with the excavated soil as deep as it was in the pot before. Since climbing hydrangeas are able to form roots that produce shoots, the plants also tolerate being planted deeper without any problems. It is then important to water the plant generously and to muddy the soil properly. In the coming days and weeks it is better to check more often whether the soil is still moist. To ensure that as little irrigation water as possible is lost, you can also set up a watering ring around the plant.
If you plan to plant several climbing hydrangeas, there should be a distance of at least 60 cm between the plants or other climbing plants be granted. It can generally be planted out all year round, but early spring is best.
Note climbing aid: In principle, climbing hydrangeas can independently climb a wide variety of subsoil with the help of their adhesive roots. These should be rough and hard-wearing: wood with bark, stone and rough concrete are well suited. On surfaces that are too smooth or in a location exposed to the wind, the climbing hydrangea, which can reach a considerable weight in old age, couldlose footing In the case of plastered house walls, a climbing aid is advisable in order to protect the wall from the adhesive roots. For this you should place the climbing aid at a distance of 10 to 15 cm from the house wall.
At a glance: How are climbing hydrangeas planted?
- Best in early spring
- In case of dryness, place the container in a water bath for 10 minutes
- Dig the planting hole rather wide and loosen it in the subsoil
- Enrich the excavated soil with acidic potting soil and hydrangea fertiliser
- Plant hydrangea with excavation
- Water thoroughly and muddy the soil
- Set up a casting ring if necessary
- Planting distance: 60 cm
Climbing hydrangeas in tubs
The climbing hydrangea is also suitable as a blooming privacy screen on the terrace or balcony - the plant only has to be planted in a sufficiently large pot. The rule here is: the bigger, the better. The jar should also have holes in the bottom to allow excess water to drain. This is important because the climbing hydrangea has to be watered often and does not tolerate waterlogging. A well water-storing, acidic potting soil such as our Plantura organic acidic soil is perfectly suitable as a substrate. Unlike many other hydrangea soils, this one has reduced peat and thus saves CO2 over its entire life cycle.
For good water drainage, it is also possible to remove a layer from the bottom of the tub coarse-grained material such as perlite. In order for the plant to be able to grow taller, it should also be given a climbing aid. A trellis made of sturdy wood, for example, is suitable for this.
Tip: Regular fertilization is particularly important in buckets, i.e. with a very limited volume of soil. In order to maintain the quality of the potting soil, you should use a primarily organic variant such as our Plantura organic hydrangea fertilizer - because the climbing hydrangea is reluctant to be repotted.
Caring for climbing hydrangeas
Climbing hydrangeas are robust and require little care. However, like all hydrangeas, they need adequate moisture and nutrients.
Watering climbing hydrangeas
Climbing hydrangeas should not dry out, which is why you should water them additionally if there is no rainfall. The best way to check whether the substrate is already too dry is to use a finger test. Climbing hydrangeas planted in tubs in particular can quicklydry out and should therefore be checked more often. When watering, it is advisable not to wet the foliage to prevent downy mildew.
Tip: To keep the soil moist longer, you can create a layer of mulch around your plant, such as leaves or bark.
Pruning climbing hydrangeas
In principle, climbing hydrangeas do not have to be pruned, especially in the first few years. Due to their slow growth, it is sufficient to remove dead wood and dried flowers. However, if the vine gets out of shape or is carrying too much weight on one side, you may need to use scissors. If you want to carry out a normal grooming cut, it is advisable to do this in autumn or winter. Since climbing hydrangeas bloom most strongly on one- and two-year-old wood, regular pruning can ensure more abundant flowering.
You can find out the best way to cut climbing hydrangeas here.
Fertilize climbing hydrangeas
Hydrangeas love rich soil. They need sufficient nutrients, especially for their lush flowers. It is advisable to work special hydrangea fertilizers into the soil between May and August. Our Plantura organic hydrangea fertilizer supports the climbing hydrangea with exactly the nutrient composition that it needs: Lots of potassium, nitrogen and additional magnesium and iron. This allows the plant to develop strong leaves and flowers.
Propagating Climbing Hydrangeas
Another advantage of the climbing hydrangea is that it is very easy to propagate. Propagation can be done in early summer either via sinkers or cuttings. You can get a offshoot by lowering a shoot that is already close to the ground towards the ground and fixing it in the ground. The shoot now forms shoot-born roots, so-called adventitious roots. For this method it is important that the mother plant is well established as she will provide water and nutrients for the cutting during the transition period.
If you want to propagate the climbing hydrangea by cuttings , look for soft, one-year-old shoots, which you then cut off to a length of about 15 cm. The tip of the shoot is removed and the leaves are cut in half so that the cutting loses less liquid through leaf transpiration. The cutting is placed in a moist, nutrient-poor substrate such as our Plantura organic herb and seed compost and should form roots after a few weeks.
From September the cutting can now be planted in its own pot. It is important that the plant is placed in a frost-free place over the winter. In the spring it can then be transplanted into a larger pot and moved outside the following year.
Are climbing hydrangeas poisonous?
In general, hydrangeas can cause problems in animals such as dogs, cats, hamsters or rabbits, as well as in humans if they are eaten. These show up in different symptoms such as dizziness, circulatory problems, anxiety and shortness of breath. If there is an allergy, even skin contact can lead to a reaction in the body. Therefore, especially small children should be supervised and informed that the beautiful flowers are only for decoration. However, the flowers and leaves taste so bitter that they are usually not consumed in large quantities by either animals or humans. For more information on hydrangea toxicity, click here.
Would you like to find out more about the romantic flowering shrubs? Then you will find everything you always wanted to know in our hydrangea article.