Evergreen Hydrangea

Evergreen Hydrangea (Dichroa versicolor) holds its leaves all year, which is the one thing a common hydrangea will not do. It makes a rounded shrub around 1.5m tall and wide, carrying lacecap heads of blue and purple through the warm months, followed by metallic blue berries that birds work through. In a shaded subtropical garden it does the job of a hydrangea without the bare winter sticks.

Why you'll love it

• Evergreen, not deciduous. The framework of glossy leaves stays put through winter, so a shaded bed still reads as planted in July.
• Two seasons of interest. Blue to purple flower heads through the warm months, then intense blue berries that hold for weeks.
• Birds come for the berries. It draws small fruit eating birds into a shady corner that usually attracts nothing at all.
• Comfortable in heat and humidity. Unlike many shade shrubs it does not sulk through a wet subtropical summer, and at 1.5m by 1.5m it fills a corner without constant cutting back.

Where it works best

Feature planting in shade. Under an established tree, or on the south side of a house, a single plant gives structure and flower where most shrubs give neither.

Mass planting. Plant 1m apart for a full, continuous bed. At that spacing the canopies overlap within two seasons and the flower heads read as one drift rather than separate bushes.

Pots, borders and edging. A pot 400mm or wider on a sheltered patio suits it, and along a shaded path it makes a soft informal border.

Growing evergreen hydrangea in Australia

Position and climate. Partial shade is what it wants: morning sun with afternoon protection, or dappled light all day. Hot afternoon sun scorches the leaf margins. It belongs in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, and it takes light frost only, so cold inland and tableland gardens should keep it potted under eaves.

Soil. Rich, moisture holding and free draining, with compost worked through. This is a forest understorey plant, so aim for soil that stays cool and damp under 75mm of mulch.

Water and feed. Keep the moisture even, particularly through the first summer and any dry spell while it is in flower. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer covers its needs.

Pruning. Tip prune after flowering to keep it dense. It reshoots from bare wood, so a plant that has gone open or leggy can be cut back harder in early spring.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in tube stock only. Tubes are young plants, usually 15 to 25cm of top growth with a small root system, and they are best planted into a pot or a properly prepared bed rather than straight into rough ground. Expect two to three seasons before a tube reaches full size, and the first serious flowering in its second warm season.

Tube stock travels well, because there is little top growth to knock about. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How hydrangeas grow and change colour
• Compare the full hydrangea range
• Other plants for partial shade
• Shrubs for subtropical gardens

Common questions

Can I change the flower colour with soil pH?

Not really. Unlike the common garden hydrangea, whose blue and pink swing with soil pH, this one holds its blue to purple tones regardless. Do not expect to turn it pink.

Are the berries edible?

No. This plant contains alkaloids and the berries are not edible for people or pets, so keep it away from beds where small children graze. Birds handle them without trouble.

Will it grow in full sun?

It survives, but it will not look good. Leaf margins burn, the foliage yellows and flowering drops away. Give it morning sun with afternoon shade at minimum, especially inland where summer heat is dry as well as strong.