Hydrangea aspera 'HOT CHOCOLATE'® rough-leaved hydrangea
size/type
medium-sized shrub,medium-sized shrub
usual height
1-2m
usual width
1-2m
leaves
deciduous broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
July-September
location
semi-shade / partial sun
soil type
acidic (peaty) to neutral
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist (dislikes drought)
USDA zone (lowest)
5 (down to -29°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Description of the plant:
Hot Chocolate® is a long-awaited novelty in the field of rough-leaved hydrangea. It bears very attractive leaves that are deciduous, felt-like, narrowly ovate, dark green with a notable chocolate-brown overlay when mature, and silvery green to light olive green when young. The added value is a dark burgundy red colour of their reverse. Flowers are flattened corymbs composed of tiny, violet, fertile flowers in the centre, surrounded by rich pink, sterile flowers. They come out in July and decorate the plant for as long as 2 months. Another interesting feature of this plant is the colour of stems, leaf stalks and veins which grades from deep orange to bright red.
You can tell by the name that hydrangea needs a lot of water, therefore we suggest planting it is semi-shade. It will like full sun only with regular watering on hot, sunny days. It prefers humus-rich, acid soil, neutral is fine, too, but it will not do well in limey ground. Pruning is usually not needed, but you can thin out old plants or shape them if unsightly in early spring. Hardy to approx. -29°C (USDA zone 5).
Last update 05-02-2013
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GLOSSARY
- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
