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Hydrangea paniculata 'LC NO24' LIVING LITTLE APPLE panicle hydrangea
Symbivit Tric (arbuscular)
Symbivit (arbuscular)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.
This little apple, more precisely the panicle hydrangea cultivar LIVING LITTLE APPLE, is one of the results of modern breeding aimed at achieving colours beyond the usual pink and white. It forms a compact shrub whose flowers genuinely resemble the skin of certain apple varieties – the young ones are like Granny Smiths, a vivid pastel green, and as they mature the shade shifts towards the colour of summer apples, a light lime green with only the faintest pink flush. The plant remains small, reaching around 60 to 70 cm in height and width, and the flower heads are full, generous and surprisingly large for such a compact habit. The individual florets are sterile. Thanks to its firm stems and naturally tidy growth it keeps its shape even after heavy rain and looks neat without intervention. The deciduous leaves are oval to broadly ovate, mid‑green and healthy.
LIVING LITTLE APPLE acts in a border like a fresh green light, softening and brightening a planting without overwhelming its colours. Its compact habit makes it ideal among medium‑sized perennials and grasses, where its lime‑green flower heads serve as a natural link between warmer and cooler tones. It pairs beautifully with smaller Deschampsia, whose fine texture enhances the fullness of the hydrangea’s blooms, and with summer alliums, which add a contrasting leaf texture and rounded lilac‑pink flower heads. For stronger colour and contrast it can be planted alongside richly toned Helenium, whose orange and red shades make the hydrangea’s green flowers stand out even more. In modern plantings it works well in small groups, where its regular shape and firm stems create a calm rhythm – it can even be planted in rows or containers as a single‑species display – while in more naturalistic borders it links different textures and lends the composition a gentle yet confident structure.
The premium Living Creations® series panicle hydrangeas is bred by the Dutch family-owned company Kolster BV, based in the renowned horticultural town of Boskoop. Leading the development of individual varieties is Alex Schoemaker, who continues a six-generation family legacy in floristry and ornamental plant cultivation. Under his guidance, the company focuses on creating hydrangeas with long lifespans, sturdy stems, and exceptional cold resistance. Breeding began around 2010, and each variety undergoes more than a decade of testing before being released. As of 2025, the collection includes over 20 registered varieties with various flower colours and plant sizes, suitable for both in-ground planting and containers. Several of these varieties have received prestigious awards from the Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society (KVBC) — for instance, ‘Living Pinky Promise’ was awarded a gold medal in 2021, while ‘Living Sugar Rush’, ‘Living Pink & Rose’, and ‘Little Blossom’ earned silver. In 2024, the newcomer ‘Groundbreaker Blush’ joined the ranks of gold medalists. Thanks to its focused breeding and striking aesthetic and horticultural qualities, the Living Creations® series has established itself as one of the most notable European projects in the field of panicle hydrangeas.
Last update 25-06-2025
Panicle hydrangeas thrive best in full sun but cope well with light partial shade provided they have sufficient moisture. Soil type is not critical, yet in fertile, deeper and well‑drained ground they produce the largest flower heads and the strongest framework. After planting they need regular watering, as their shallow root system dries out quickly during the first two years; once established they tolerate short summer droughts, although they remain healthier and less prone to wilting in evenly moist soil. They respond very well to feeding, but fertilisers with a lower nitrogen content are preferable to encourage flowering rather than overly lush growth that weakens the stems. They tolerate any aspect and a wide pH range. Each spring before budbreak they require a hard prune, leaving roughly 10 to 20 cm of the previous year’s wood, as they flower exclusively on new shoots. They grow well in containers but need more frequent watering and a sheltered position away from strong winds, which can snap young stems carrying heavy flower heads. Standard forms require a firm staking system, which must be renewed after four to five years to support the increasing weight of the crown. Their cold tolerance reaches approximately –34 °C (USDA zone 4).
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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.
