Hydrangea anomala Crug Coral- Climbing Hydrangea

Hydrangea anomala 'Crug Coral' is a new variety of climbing hydrangea that will captivate with the unusual rosy colour of its inflorescences. In this plant, the almost-red floral buds bloom in early summer into light flower panicles whose large tender pink florets surround many small cream-coloured flowers. Flowering that is all the more charming as it is enhanced by attractive shiny, bright green leaves and will bloom even in shaded areas of the garden. The long stems of this shrub cling on their own with the help of climbing roots onto bare walls or trees, in the same way as ivy. Although it sometimes takes three years to grow, the climbing hydrangea is a robust plant that will fend for itself once well established.

Originally from Japan and tropical Asia, Hydrangea anomala subsp. glabra is a climbing shrub that is deciduous in winter, belonging to the Hydrangea family. In its native forests, this woody plant grows up to 12 m (39 ft) in height, but it will rarely reach over 5 to 6 m (16 to 19 ft) in cooler climates. It is a very hardy plant (down to at least -20 °C (-4 °F)) that thrives in any deep and rich soil without excess lime that is not overly dry. Its growth is a bit sluggish at the juvenile stage while its roots are anchoring deeply in the soil.

The 'Crug Coral' variety, collected in the mountains of Taiwan around 2016, differs from the classic species by its pink-tinted flowers and slightly smaller leaves. This vigorous liana produces robust and well-ramified woody stems, up to a minimum of 3-4 m (9-13 ft) in height, which form a very interesting structure. These crack with age and their bark peels off in shreds, giving the plant an attractive appearance even in winter. A creeping shrub with a strong covering ability, it is also a bold climber that clings thanks to very efficient climbing roots. Without support, it will not exceed 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) and will form a large dense bush. The stems bear thick and ovate leaves with a pointed tip, measuring about 6 cm (2.4 in) long by 3 cm (1.2 in) wide, which are finely dentate on the edge, glabrous and a little rough to the touch. Bright green on top and lighter underneath, they turn yellow and sometimes also purplish-red in autumn before falling. This hydrangea usually flowers in June, even in the shade. Its nectariferous flowers, gathered in large umbels sometimes reaching 20 cm (7.9 in) in diameter, resemble flattened parasols. Each is composed of many small fertile cream-coloured flowers with protruding stamens surrounded by a few larger sterile florets, with four pale pink petals. They do not fade but dry slowly on the plant, adopting subtle green and faded red nuances before browning. 

This 'Crug Coral' climbing hydrangea, with its attractive pink flowers, is a plant that will bring a lot of charm and a touch of colour to those shaded areas of the garden that are often difficult to landscape. It can be used in the background to cover a north-facing wall or dress up an old dead tree or unsightly construction, but it also proves to be an excellent ground cover, very useful for retaining sloping soils. It pairs well with bushy fuchsias (magellanica), for example, or low-maintenance ground cover plants such as Aegopodium podagraria 'Variegata', perennial Geraniums macrorrhizum or periwinkles. It can also be paired with a shade vine like Parthenocissus henryana and quinquefolia.