Plant Profile: Hydrangea hydrangeoides

The Japanese hydrangea vine is a climbing plant that adheres to surfaces using holdfasts, which are adhesive disks, or small aerial roots. It thrives best on flat surfaces like stone, masonry walls, or wood. This vine can grow in full sun, partial shade, or complete shade, but it tends to flourish in partial shade and prefers soil that is well-drained, moist, and rich in humus. Once established, it is drought-resistant but does not tolerate wet conditions with standing water. Establishment can be slow, with the plant taking up to seven years to produce its fragrant, lacecap-like flowers.

Although this tall, deciduous vine, known for its striking blooms that emerge from early to mid-summer, is relatively unknown in the United States, it is quite common in the dense forests of Japan.