From the Living Creations® series, Hydrangea paniculata Living Cotton Cream® (‘LC NO7’ PBR) is a very compact paniculate hydrangea, awarded a bronze medal at the KVBC* competition for its abundant flowering, balanced silhouette and ease of cultivation. It reaches a maximum of 1m in all directions at maturity, or even 80cm, depending on growing conditions. Its foliage consists of oval, finely toothed, deep dark green leaves; deciduous foliage that falls in autumn and reappears in spring. The shrub has a dense, generally rounded, well-branched habit and develops sturdy stems. Flowering begins in July and extends until the end of September, remaining decorative for around 100 days. The erect, conical, 15 to 20 cm tall inflorescences evolve from a bright cream white to slightly pinkish shades at the end of the season. This very hardy (down to –30 °C) cultivar flowers on the current year's growth, making it less susceptible to late frosts. It thrives in full sun to partial shade, in moist, fertile, well-drained soil.
Easy-going, floriferous and perfectly suited to small spaces, Living Cotton Cream® will delight lovers of paniculate hydrangeas. This compact variety is an excellent choice for small gardens, small flowering hedges, shrub borders or containers. Its well-formed panicles remain decorative on the plant for a long time and are also suitable for fresh or dried arrangements. It can be associated with white, cluster-flowered shrub roses, such as Iceberg® or 'Claire Austin', the Japanese spirea ‘Snowmound’ with white flowers in early summer, and a Physocarpus Summer Wine® with dark foliage for contrast. In a more contemporary scene, it can be mixed with grasses such as Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ or Pennisetum 'Karley Rose' for example.
