Panicle Hydrangea 'Bobo'

Panicle hydrangea 'Bobo' (Hydrangea paniculata 'Ilvobo') is the little one that vanishes under its own flowers in summer. The bush is dwarf and rounded, and its strong upright shoots carry the white panicles straight up with no tying at all. By autumn the heads take on soft pink and lilac tones.

Plant it in containers on the terrace, in low edgings and at the front of a mixed border, where taller cultivars would hide everything behind them. A mature bush is only 0.6-0.9 m tall and 0.9-1.2 m wide, one of the lowest cultivars of the species. It flowers from July to September, once most shrubs have finished.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: The panicles reach 28 cm long, yet the rigid shoots hold them upright, so the heads can be left on the bush over winter.
• Dimensions: A compact little one: at 10 years 0.6-0.9 m tall and 0.9-1.2 m wide.
• Hardiness: Overwinters without cover, taking temperatures down to -40 °C (USDA zone 3).
• Flowering: From July to September the bush is covered with white panicles that later take on pink-lilac tones.
• Light: Full sun or partial shade - any side of the garden will do: south, north, east or west.
• Soil: Loves soil rich in organic matter, moderately moist yet well-drained; loam and clay suit it perfectly.
• Watering: Water moderately and regularly so the soil stays evenly moist - no drying out and no standing water.
• Care: It flowers on the current year's shoots, so prune with confidence in late winter or early spring.
• Landscape use: Groups and drifts in a mixed border, a specimen on the lawn or an informal hedge - all of it flowering at the end of summer.
• Origin: Raised in Melle, Belgium, from open pollination of the cultivar 'Pink Diamond'.