Hydrangea scandens First Love®

Hydrangea scandens 'First Love' is a spring-flowering hydrangea of great delicacy, with a subtle charm, but it is sensitive to cold. This small deciduous shrub forms a dense, modestly sized shrub, which comes alive in spring with a profusion of pink flowers in neutral soil and blue in acidic soil. Charming in a pot on a shaded terrace or at the edge of a border, it also thrives in cool, partially shaded areas of the garden. Not very common, this hydrangea captivates with its early flowering and very natural style.

Hydrangea scandens 'First Love'® belongs to the Hydrangeaceae family, like all hydrangeas. This cultivar is registered under the code ‘22b30’ PBR (EU 20250347). The botanical species Hydrangea scandens, or sarmentous hydrangea, is sometimes considered a subspecies or related to Hydrangea anomala/petiolaris. It is native to southern Japan, where it grows in forests, often around 450m above sea level.
The 'First Love' cultivar was developed by Marie-France Doll (France). It differs from the type species by having a much more abundant, earlier flowering and coloured flowers (pink or blue depending on soil pH). The botanical species is a small, spreading shrub and bears flat inflorescences ("lacecap") with only a few sterile florets with three white sepals; in 'First Love', these florets are more numerous, larger, and more colourful. Its habit is bushy, ramified. With slow to moderate growth, the young plant reaches 1.50 m in height and spread after 5 to 10 years. The flowering features wide, flattened umbels composed of sterile flowers with large, coloured sepals surrounding small cream or white fertile flowers. It occurs from April to June. The foliage is deciduous, consisting of oblong, dentate leaves, dark green, glossy on the surface. It falls in autumn and reappears the following spring. The hardiness of this cultivar does not exceed -10°C in the ground and in a sheltered position.

The sarmentous hydrangea 'First Love'® is a refined plant suited to gardens sheltered from severe frosts. It is placed in a partially shaded border, sheltered from cold winds, or in a large pot that can be overwintered if necessary. It can be paired with aspidistras, Japanese aralias, or black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'), but also with pink Japanese anemones or saxifrages. Its natural charm is fully expressed in a cool and slightly humid atmosphere, between light shade and dappled light. A delicate choice for small, protected corners where it adds a touch of soft colour from the first fine days.