Hydrangea macrophylla Frau Nobuko

The Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lady Nobuko' (syn. 'Frau Nobuko') is an unmistakably unique Japanese variety of "ball" Hydrangea. This bush provides a beautiful and long-lasting bicolour flowering, the shade of which depends on the nature of the soil. In neutral soil, its flower heads will be purplish and light pink, while in acidic soil, it will look more blue. Its moderate growth is suitable for small garden decoration and large pot cultivation. Sublime in an English garden! 

This variety, also sold under Mai-Ko Nobuko, forms a small deciduous bush with a dense and rounded habit. At maturity, the Hydrangea Lady Nobuko reaches about 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) in height and 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in spread. Its deciduous, rounded leaves ending at a roughly serrated point are tender green in colour and darken during the season. They turn yellow in autumn before falling. The bush is adorned with globular flower heads from July to October grouped into dense pompons. Each flower head comprises numerous clearly bicolour dentate florets tightly packed against each other. Each petal shows a noticeable margin around a dark-coloured area. If the pH of your soil is close to 7 (neutral soil), the florets will be purplish pink edged with a very pale pink. If, on the contrary, the pH of your soil is below 6, the flowers will be blue to violet-edged with a very pale blue. The original flowering will make you forget the classic single-coloured hydrangeas. Planted under suitable conditions, the hydrangea can live for a very long time.

The 'Lady Nobuko' Hydrangea, like all Hydrangea macrophylla, grows in any fresh, humus-rich and fertile soil. It will enjoy partial shade in a place protected from cold and dry winds. Plant it in a half-shade bed or along a wall exposed to the sun in the morning. To create a romantic atmosphere, surround it with heucheras, fuchsia bushes, brunneras, and sanguisorba. For a striking scene, pair it with Trachystemon orientalis, a large perennial of the undergrowth that gives the impression of giant borage. Remember to water it in summer if necessary, for it does not like drought.