Climbing Hydrangea
Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris
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Specifications
| Plant Characteristics | Cold hardy, Low Maintenance, Flowering, Attracts pollinators, Non-invasive, Disease resistant, Fragrant, Groundcover, Fast-growing |
|---|---|
| Hardiness Zone | 5a to 8b |
| Sunlight | Partial shade, Shade |
| Height | |
| Width | |
| Watering Needs | Moderate |
| Preferred Soil | Peaty |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Growth Habit | Bushy, Climbing, Compact, Spreading |
| Plant Life Cycle | Perennial |
| Blooms In | Spring, Summer |
| Flower Color | White |
| Foliage Color | Green |
| Suitable Space | Outdoors |
| Plant Name | Hydrangea |
| Botanical Name | |
| Species | |
| Class | Magnoliopsida, Cornales |
| Does Not Ship To | AK, HI, ID, MT, PR |
Description
Climbing Hydrangea Vine Fragrant Blooms in Shade
- Slow to Establish, Becoming More Vigorous
- Grows in Shade
- Four Seasons of Interest
- Wonderfully Fragrant Flowers, Green Leaves, Stems
- Large Flat Lacecap Flowers From May Persisting Into Summer
- Lush, Dark Green Summer Foliage Turns Yellow for Fall
- Exfoliating Bark Delivers Winter Interest
- Attracts Butterflies
- Long-Lived and Easy Care
- Blooms Last for Long Bloom Period
- Loves Hot/Humid Conditions
- Grows in Full Shade and Part Sun
- Great Cut Flowers Fresh and Dried
If you have more shade than sun, or just have a few shady spots to decorate, try the easy-care Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris). This perennial vine produces beautiful white lace-cap flowers in late spring and early summer. And it blooms in shade! How nice to finally be able to brighten up those dimly lit areas in your garden.
The Climbing Hydrangea vine is an extremely versatile vine with year-round interest. Glossy green leaves cover eye sores all growing season and then the summer foliage turns brilliant yellow as a nice fall color feature. The exfoliating, reddish-brown bark of mature plants is attractive in winter.
Get ready to see butterflies visiting the wide, flat pretty lace cap flower clusters to gather nectar. All parts of this pretty plant are fragrant, too. And it thrives in shady conditions, can you believe it?
As you might imagine, this desirable plant is in high demand. Nature Hills growers are thrilled to offer this plant, but you should hurry. We will sell out of this selection quickly.
Climbing Hydrangea is native to wooded forests, streams and shaded mountain slopes of Japan, China and South Korea. With a prolific production of large white flowers in late spring and early summer, these unique climbers do take a bit of time to get established.
Please be patient. You may wonder what you are doing wrong when you first plant it as it is a slow starter. Once your Climbing Hydrangea gets established, you will soon notice some nice vigorous shoots and will eventually become more aggressive.
Flowering vines that bloom their heads off in shade are almost impossible to find. These slow-to-start vines are vigorous, easy to care for, and hard to find but our production team has this one figured out!
If you see them in stock on our website, be sure to place your order as soon as you can. You'll be competing with other homeowners who also want to use this special variety to brighten up their shady landscapes. Order now!
How to Use Climbing Hydrangea in the Landscape
Many professional horticulturists agree that there is no better climbing vine than the Climbing Hydrangea. Use this plant for climbing on arbors, fences or the trunks of large trees, and over walls. It also can be grown as a ground cover in shady areas or on steep embankments.
Climbing Hydrangea is one of the best vines for clinging to brick or stone walls. It can be particularly effective when grown against building walls where it can easily attach and cling to the surface using its aerial rootlets are durable holdfasts.
Cold and heat tolerant in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 10. This is also a great selection for espalier in a flat fan shape along the back fence. What a treat for your guests!
If grown on a house, plan to cut around windows and doorways to create a wonderful Fairy Tale cottage or castle. We are sure your imagination is working overtime! Have fun with this wonderful plant.
You'll love to perfume your home with the flowers for fresh-cut arrangements. Allow them to dry for fabulous dried flower displays. Or, just enjoy the reddish-brown dried flower heads on the plant for texture and visual interest. The lace cap blossoms are similar to Hydrangea shrubs and look lovely, romantic and lacy!
Its modified roots will attach to almost any surface. Climbing Hydrangea also can be grown as a flowering groundcover in shady areas or on steep embankments. When left unsupported, the plant mounds to about 3 feet tall and will scramble over the ground. That's much safer and prettier than trying to mow turf on a slope.
On a slope, plant near the top, and point the plants downhill. Plant 6 feet apart on center, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next. Manage their growth by positioning new stems downhill as needed. Keep mass plantings mulched and weeded as they fill in. Add additional rows 20 - 30 feet further downhill.
#ProPlantTips for Care
These lovely deciduous vines grow well in moist, well-drained soils with plenty of organic matter added to planting. It prefers an acid soil of 6 to 6.5 but is adapted to a wide range of soil types as long as the drainage is good.
They are very cold hardy but will need a moderate amount of regular water. Use the Finger Test to see if they need additional water. Push your finger into the soil up to the second knuckle. Is it getting dry? Give it a long drink. Still moist? Skip watering that day.
Climbing Hydrangea will not do well in full sun, give it a partial shade setting for the best results. In colder Zone 5 or in high humidity climates, it can handle more direct morning sun with afternoon shade. If you live in a drier climate or in Zones 8, 9 and 10, you should plant in full shade. Mulch the root zone 3 to 4 inches deep to keep surface roots consistently moist and cool.
Please note that they do take time to get established in your soil. This plant is slow to establish but once it gets well rooted in the ground, the vigor improves dramatically. It is also slow to come into flower, so please remember that patience is a virtue and these gorgeous blooms are worth the wait!
They definitely fit that old garden adage "the first year they sleep, the second year they creep and the third year they leap!" Give it a very sturdy structure to grow on. They'll add so much beauty to shady spots around your yard. Just supply a sturdy trellis for them to climb on and watch them go!
The plant is nearly disease and pest free. The most common problem is chlorosis caused by higher pH soils. Fertilize with Dr. Earth's Acid Lovers Natural and Organic Premium Fertilizer in the fall and after blooming to keep the plant healthy and soil pH acidic.
It blooms on last year's wood, so prune right after its blooms start to fade in the late spring to early summer. Left alone, Climbing Hydrangea develops a bushy, informal habit. Keep it neat and uniform with regular light summer pruning.
Finding Climbing hydrangea for sale can be a challenge. Buy yours from Nature Hills before we sell out
Planting & Care
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping Rates
Ships in 3-5 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected
| Under $50 | $9.99 |
| $50 - $99.99 | $14.99 |
| $100 - $149.99 | $16.99 |
| $150 - $198.99 | $24.99 |
| $199+ | FREE |
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Arrived in great condition and seem very happy in the ground. Two weeks in and doing great.
Climbing hydrangea can take a little time to settle in after planting, so it's great to hear yours hit the ground running. Give it consistent moisture through the first season and it will reward you with strong new growth. Thanks for the update, David.
My plant came in pretty much dead
Dried leafs and broken stems
Beautiful plant! Very mature and healthy looking.
Climbing Hydrangea is one of those plants that really rewards patience, so getting one that already has some size and maturity to it is a great head start. Thanks for sharing, Tracey. Give it a sturdy support structure and it will pay you back for decades.
The plant arrived beautifully. I’m hoping that it will bloom like those seen in the pics.
Climbing hydrangeas are slow to settle in, so do not be discouraged if the first season or two is mostly leafy growth with little or no bloom. Once the roots are established, though, they really come into their own and put on a show worth waiting for. Thanks for sharing, Desiree, and enjoy watching it climb!
Ordered climbing hydrangeas, order came soon with prompt service. Hydrangeas looked great.
Climbing hydrangeas are such a rewarding plant to get established, and it sounds like yours arrived in good shape and ready to go. Thanks for the kind words, Rebecca. If you ever have questions as they start to climb and settle in, we are happy to help.
Came well packaged. Planted a couple of weeks ago and looking healthy but no new growth yet. High hopes for next year
Climbing hydrangea tends to spend its first season quietly settling in below the soil, so healthy foliage with no new growth yet is actually a good sign. The roots are doing the real work right now, and that patience usually pays off with strong growth the following year. Thanks for sharing the update, Christine, and we hope it rewards you well next season.
My climbing hydrangea arrived in great health, fully hydrated, and with the new beautiful green growth. I am so excited to plant this and watch it grow!
Climbing hydrangeas are such a rewarding plant to grow, and it sounds like yours is off to a great start. That fresh green growth is a good sign the roots are healthy and ready to take hold. Give it a sturdy structure to climb and a bit of patience in the first season, and it will pay you back for years. Thanks for sharing, Erika. We hope you enjoy every bit of it. The Nature Hills Team
the climbing hydrangeas arrived almost dead and were completely dried out. They died within two days despite our efforts to rehydrate them. I contacted you and received a message that I was in the qeue. Later I received a message asking me to send a photo, which I did. I have heard nothing since.
Unfortunately I was not thrilled when it arrived most leaves were crumpled with black spots, it was planted but it does not look well!
Mature well rooted plants. Both are growing well. Could not ask for better specimens.
Hi Robert,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful experience! We’re thrilled to hear that your mature, well-rooted plants are growing so well—that truly is the best outcome we could hope for. Your care and attention surely play a big role in their thriving condition.
If you ever have any questions about continuing their care or want tips on how to encourage even more robust growth, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re always happy to provide personalized advice or help you find just the right additions to your garden.
Rooting for your garden’s success,
Your Nature Hills Plant Care Team
Mature well rooted plants. Both are growing well. Could not ask for better specimens.
Dear Robjack709,
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re delighted to hear that your mature, well-rooted plants are thriving and meeting your expectations. It’s always our goal to provide specimens that not only look great upon arrival but continue to grow robustly in your garden. If you ever have questions about enhancing their growth or need tips suited to your particular climate, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help!
Wishing you happy planting,
The Nature Hills Plant Experts
This vine performed beautifully for me after it became established.....about 3-4 years. A fast grower, strong, beautiful leaves and wonderful flowers in the late summer. The foliage was more impressive than the flowers. I grew it around an entrance-way and it gave us the feeling of our own private secret entry. This was in FULL SHADE. Another plant was in afternoon sun......another in full sun....and neither of those developed well at all. Shade seems to be the secret. This vine is VERY strong and secure. Its not for the timid. But it is a beauty! Dont grow it on vinyl siding. It loves to "explore".
Hello Goldman,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughtful experience with the Climbing Hydrangea! We’re delighted to hear how well it’s thrived once established, especially in full shade—that detail about light preference is incredibly helpful for fellow gardeners considering this strong vine. Your description of it creating a 'private secret entry' is simply charming and truly captures the magic a plant can bring to a space.
You’re absolutely right about avoiding vinyl siding when planting vining climbers like this one—they can be quite enthusiastic explorers! For anyone else reading, we’d also recommend a sturdy support structure, such as a trellis or wooden framework, to let the vine climb healthily without damaging surfaces.
If you fancy experimenting further, keeping the vine in shaded environments similar to your successful spot and regular pruning to control its spread may encourage even more vigorous and beautiful growth.
Thanks again for your wonderful feedback—plants really do tell the best stories through gardeners like you.
Bloom on,
The Nature Hills Plant Knowledge Team
I agree with other reviews this vine is a beauty grows best in full shade, Mine established quickly Hoping to see blooms sooner than 5 years!
Hi Stacy,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with your Climbing Hydrangea! We're delighted to hear it’s established quickly and thriving in shade—it truly is a gorgeous and resilient vine. You’re right; while 5 years is typical for full blooming, sometimes proper care and ideal conditions can help encourage blossoms even sooner. To support earlier blooming, ensuring your vine has consistent moisture, well-draining soil, and gentle pruning might help promote stronger floral growth. You may also find it helpful to check out our growing tips page on Climbing Hydrangeas for additional care insights.
We appreciate your thoughtful review and hope your vine blooms spectacularly for you well before five years pass!
Bloom on,
The Nature Hills Plant Knowledge Team
I agree with other reviews this vine is a beauty grows best in full shade, Mine established quickly Hoping to see blooms sooner than 5 years!
Hello Stacy,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with your Climbing Hydrangea! We’re delighted to hear that it’s thriving quickly in the shade—that vine truly shines when given the right conditions. Your hopeful anticipation for blooms sooner than five years is completely understandable. While Climbing Hydrangeas can sometimes take time to develop blooms as they focus on establishing a strong foundation, ensuring it gets consistent moisture and a balanced fertilizer in early spring may encourage more vigorous growth and potentially earlier flowering.
If you’re interested, we have detailed care guides on our website about optimizing bloom timeline and overall vine health—feel free to explore or reach out anytime for personalized advice!
Bloom on,
The Nature Hills Plant Knowledge Team
This vine performed beautifully for me after it became established.....about 3-4 years. A fast grower, strong, beautiful leaves and wonderful flowers in the late summer. The foliage was more impressive than the flowers. I grew it around an entrance-way and it gave us the feeling of our own private secret entry. This was in FULL SHADE. Another plant was in afternoon sun......another in full sun....and neither of those developed well at all. Shade seems to be the secret. This vine is VERY strong and secure. Its not for the timid. But it is a beauty! Dont grow it on vinyl siding. It loves to "explore".
Dear Goldman,
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience with the Climbing Hydrangea! We truly appreciate the detailed insights you’ve provided—particularly your note about the vine thriving in full shade rather than sun, which is so helpful for future gardeners considering its planting conditions. Your imaginative description of it creating a “private secret entry” makes it clear how much character and charm this vine brings to your space.
Your tip about avoiding vinyl siding is a valuable heads-up, as its climbing habit can certainly become quite adventurous! For those looking to encourage strong growth after the establishment period, regular mulching and steady moisture without overwatering usually help maintain vigor and those superb, leafy displays you admire.
If you ever find the vine needs a little controlling or shaping, gentle pruning just after flowering can keep it looking its best. Gary, our Care Specialist, is always happy to share pruning techniques or shade-tolerant companion planting advice when you’re ready for the next plant adventure.
We’re grateful for your thoughtful, practical review—we learn as much from you as we hope you enjoy your garden!
Rooting for your garden’s success,
Your Nature Hills Plant Care Team
