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Hydrangea paniculata 'KYUSHU' panicle hydrangea
Hydrangea
The panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to East Asia, naturally occurring in the mountain forests and valleys of China, Korea, Japan, and Russia’s Sakhalin Island. It is distinguished by its strikingly conical panicles composed of small fertile and showy sterile florets, which shift in color over the season from white through pink to wine-red, and by its high tolerance for full sun. The species was botanically described in 1829 by the German physician and botanist Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796–1866), who encountered it during his work in Japan. It reached Europe through botanical collections and expeditions of the 19th century, with the first cultivars such as ‘Grandiflora’ and ‘Floribunda’ spreading in gardens only toward the end of that century.
A milestone in the breeding of Hydrangea paniculata came with the expedition of American dendrologist Charles Sprague Sargent to Japan in 1892. He brought back seeds from which, in the following years, the cultivar ‘Praecox’ was raised—the first documented variety with early flowering. Its beauty was already praised in 1897 in the journal Garden and Forest, and when the plant became established in cultivation, Sargent himself called it in 1922 one of the most beautiful shrubs in the Arnold Arboretum. The original specimen still grows there today as a living botanical monument more than a century old.
Kyushu is a time‑tested cultivar of panicle hydrangea, rightly regarded today as a classic. It is an upright, medium‑ to strongly‑growing shrub with a naturally open habit; in maturity it commonly reaches 1.5–2.5 m in height and about 1–1.5 m in width. It produces tall, conical inflorescences 20–35 cm long, composed mainly of fertile – small and often fragrant – florets, with a smaller proportion of sterile flowers. Flower colour begins cream‑white to faintly greenish and may take on a subtle pinkish tinge in autumn; it should not, however, be described as distinctly autumn‑pink. Flowering runs from July into early autumn. The deciduous leaves are elliptic, medium‑sized and deep green; the petioles can show a slight reddish cast, and the stems of this form are notably greener than those of other panicle hydrangeas with similar blooms.
The cultivar originates from Japan, specifically the Aso‑san region of Kyūshū. Soft cuttings collected at that locality were taken by Captain Collingwood Ingram in 1926 and later passed to Robert and Jelena de Belder at the Kalmthout Arboretum in Belgium. There the distinctive form was recognised and subsequently named and marketed as ‘Kyushu’, honouring its place of origin. Collingwood Ingram (1880–1981), besides holding the rank of captain in the Royal Navy, was a prominent British gardener and plant collector, a specialist in Japanese woody plants (notably Prunus). His field collecting, careful documentation and promotion of Japanese forms substantially enriched European collections and horticultural practice.
Panicle hydrangeas grow best in full sun, though they also tolerate partial shade and even shade, where they flower somewhat later. They are not overly demanding in soil type, but in fertile, well-drained ground they are at their finest. Once established, they cope well with summer drought, though they remain healthier in evenly moist soil. They respond very well to fertilization, producing larger flowers and stronger growth. They tolerate any exposure and a wide range of soil pH. Each spring before bud break, the shrub should be pruned back by about two-thirds, leaving a sturdy framework of several strong shoots. From these, new vigorous stems will grow, carrying large panicles – the plant flowers on new wood. Standard and half-standard trees require strong support to hold the crown which will become large and heavy as the plant ages. Hardy to at least –34 °C (USDA zone 4), it is also suitable for outdoor containers.
Last update 19-02-2026
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- 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.
