Hydrangea (genus, "Karakonterigi")

Japanese name: カラコンテリギ （唐紺照木）
Scientific name: Hydrangea

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub 0.5–4 m tall, found in its native range in forests and on mountain slopes.
It branches freely from the base.
Young branches are reddish brown.
Leaves are simple and opposite, lanceolate to ovate, 5–12 cm long and 1.5–4 cm wide, with hairs along the veins on both surfaces.
The leaf margin is either toothed in the upper half or entire.
The petiole is 0.5–2 cm long.
Cymes are produced at the branch tips.
The inflorescence has white to pale yellow showy flowers around the edge and white to pale yellowish green bisexual flowers in the center.
The sepals of the showy flowers number 3–4, are obovate, and sometimes have uneven low teeth.
The bisexual flowers are white to pale yellow with 5 petals, which curve back slightly.
There are 10 stamens, of somewhat differing lengths.
The fruit is a capsule 0.3–0.5 cm long.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
It prefers sun to partial shade and moist soil that is well drained and retains water well.
It is somewhat weak to cold, so in regions with frost, bring it indoors in winter to a sunny, warm place.
It is not suited to places where the soil becomes extremely dry or where it receives strong afternoon sun.
Take care that it does not run short of water; for potted plants and plants in the ground for less than 2 years, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
Established plants in the ground need no particular watering, but if the soil dries out in the heat of summer, water in the morning or evening when temperatures are low.
Apply base fertilizer, and also place slow-release fertilizer on the soil from spring to autumn.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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