Flirty Girl™ False Hydrangea Vine (Schizophragma)
Perennial
- Blooms at a young age - much earlier than any other false hydrangea vine.
- Large white flower clusters in early summer give off a honey scent.
- Glossy green foliage.
- The ideal way to transform a tree, wall, or pergola into a memorable garden feature.
- Zones 5-9, sun/part sun/shade, 50' tall x 9' wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Details
Patent #: PP31720
Common name: False hydrangea vine
Zone: 5 - 9
Sun exposure: Sun to shade; best flowering with some light.
Height x width: 40-50' x 6-9'
Flower color: White
Foliage color: Green
Season of interest: Summer
Bloom time: Summer
Features: Rare & unusual, Proven Winners, low flammability, heat tolerant, fragrant
Uses: Covering any vertical surface, from walls to tree trunks.
How to Grow
Light: Most varieties tolerate full sun in the North, but benefit from afternoon shade. Tolerates full sun only if grown with consistent moisture. In the South, plants require afternoon shade. Overall, performs best in part shade with moisture retentive soil. Intolerant of drought, with foliage tending to decline considerably in dry conditions.
Water: Water to keep soil moist, but not wet.
Spacing: min. 5' apart, or as needed.
Fertilizing: Fertilize once in spring with a rose fertilizer.
Winterizing: Nothing special required; benefits from a 2-3" layer of shredded bark mulch over the root zone all year long, but especially in winter.
Maintenance & pruning: This variety blooms on old wood. If it is growing too large, prune to the desired size after flowering. Later pruning will damage developing flower buds. In spring, only prune out any dead wood once the new growth has emerged. Young plants may be transplanted when dormant in early spring, however, as this plant matures, it becomes difficult if not impossible to transplant.
Like their close relative climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala), false hydrangea vine only puts out the vegetative growth capable of clinging to structures in early spring, so it may be a year after planting until it begins to climb. This is normal. You may gently tie up or train branches for the first season, but any materials should be removed once vines begin to cling on their own so they don't harm the plant.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
