Climbing Hydrangea

Day 14: When someone says they have a hydrangea in their garden, people usually think of a bushy plant with ball-shaped flower clusters, either pink or blue depending on species and soil pH. Hydrangea petiolaris ssp. anomala is an exception. As is suggested by its common name "Japanese Climbing Hydrangea," it grows up walls, rock faces, trellises or any other surface which can be gripped by its aerial rootlets (and trust me on this, it can grab onto surfaces you'd probably consider smooth). Its flowers are generally white and sparse, but what it lacks in floriferousness, it makes up for with autumn colour. As nights become cooler and dip near freezing, the foliage turns a rich golden-yellow, then shifts into a pleasant warm russet. The older stems/stalks are rather fragile, and mine had an unfortunate encounter with a riding lawnmower two years ago, but is now once again the dominant feature in my view from the kitchen window.