Maculata Variegated Hydrangea

Maculata Variegated Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Maculata') is a compact shrub that stays around 0.8m tall and wide. Each leaf has a crisp ivory margin, and in late spring it carries lacecap flowers that are usually blue. It is small enough for a pot on a deck or balcony, and frost hardy in the ground.

Why you'll love it

• Foliage that earns its place. The ivory-edged leaves lift a shady corner even before and after the flowers, which most hydrangeas cannot do.
• Lacecap flowers. Late spring brings flat heads that are usually blue to blue-lilac, with a centre of tiny true flowers.
• Colour you can influence. Soil below about pH 5 gives blue, while pH 6 to 7 gives mauve and pink through to red.
• Compact and pot friendly. At 0.8m by 0.8m it suits pots and planters, and can even spend time in a bright room indoors.
• Hardy. It is totally frost hardy, so it copes with cold winters without fuss.

Where it works best

Pots on decks, balconies and patios. One plant in a pot 35cm wide or larger brings foliage and flower to a small space. Use good potting mix and keep it moist.

Cottage garden borders. Plant 70cm apart for a low flowering border, in part shade, with the white leaf edges picking up lighter flowers nearby.

Shady entrances. The variegated foliage brightens a path or doorway where there is not enough light for most flowering plants.

Growing Maculata Variegated Hydrangea in Australia

Position and climate. Choose a partly shaded position, and shelter it from hot afternoon sun, which scorches the white leaf margins first. It suits cool temperate and warm temperate gardens, and subtropical ones with deep shade and regular water.

Soil. Moist, well-drained soil is the preference, enriched with compost. Hydrangeas dislike drying out, so mulch the surface.

Water and feed. Water regularly for the first 8 to 12 weeks until established, and give plenty in dry periods. One feed of slow release fertiliser when the buds swell in spring is enough.

Pruning. Tidy it straight after flowering to keep growth dense and set up next season's blooms. Shorten only the current year's shoots and leave the older stems alone. All parts are toxic if eaten.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Maculata Variegated Hydrangea as tube stock only. Tube stock is a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly once potted on or planted out. Expect leaf growth first and flowers building over the first couple of seasons. Pot it into a larger container, or plant it out, within a few days of arrival.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the hydrangea range
• Hydrangea colour and pruning guide
• Other variegated plants
• Plants for balconies

Common questions

Do the white leaf edges stay all year?

They show best in spring and summer when the plant is in full leaf. Like all bigleaf hydrangeas it is deciduous, so it drops its leaves in winter and regrows them in spring.

Can I grow it indoors?

For a time. It will cope in a bright room, out of direct sun and away from heaters, but it is happiest outdoors and needs a cool winter rest.

How hard can I prune it?

Not hard. Flowers come from the older stems, so cut only the current year's growth after flowering, and leave the older woody stems alone.