Hydrangea lobbii
Sponsor
Kindly sponsored by a generous supporter who loves hydrangeas.
Credits
Julian Sutton (2025)
Recommended citation
Sutton, J. (2025), 'Hydrangea lobbii' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.
Synonyms
- Hydrangea chinensis var. lobbii (Maxim.) Kitam.
- Hydrangea scandens var. lobbii (Maxim.) Y.C.Liu
Other taxa in genus
- Hydrangea ampla
- Hydrangea angustipetala
- Hydrangea anomala
- Hydrangea arborescens
- Hydrangea arborescens Species Complex Cultivars A–M
- Hydrangea arborescens Species Complex Cultivars N–Z
- Hydrangea aspera
- Hydrangea aspera Species Complex Cultivars
- Hydrangea barbara
- Hydrangea bretschneideri
- Hydrangea cinerea
- Hydrangea daimingshanensis
- Hydrangea davidii
- Hydrangea fauriei
- Hydrangea febrifuga
- Hydrangea glaucescens
- Hydrangea heteromalla
- Hydrangea heteromalla Species Complex Cultivars
- Hydrangea hirsuta
- Hydrangea hirta
- Hydrangea hwangii
- Hydrangea hydrangeoides
- Hydrangea indochinensis
- Hydrangea integrifolia
- Hydrangea Intersectional Hybrids
- Hydrangea involucrata
- Hydrangea kawakamii
- Hydrangea kwangsiensis
- Hydrangea liukiuensis
- Hydrangea longifolia
- Hydrangea longipes
- Hydrangea luteovenosa
- Hydrangea macrophylla
- Hydrangea obtusifolia
- Hydrangea paniculata
- Hydrangea paniculata Cultivars A–D
- Hydrangea paniculata Cultivars E–I
- Hydrangea paniculata Cultivars J–L
- Hydrangea paniculata Cultivars M–R
- Hydrangea paniculata Cultivars S–Z
- Hydrangea petiolaris
- Hydrangea platyarguta
- Hydrangea pottingeri
- Hydrangea quercifolia
- Hydrangea radiata
- Hydrangea robusta
- Hydrangea sargentiana
- Hydrangea scandens
- Hydrangea schizomollis
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars A
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars B
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars C
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars D
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars E–F
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars G
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars H
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars I–J
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars K
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars L
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars M
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars N–O
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars P–Q
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars R
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars S
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars T–U
- Hydrangea Section Macrophyllae Cultivars V–Z
- Hydrangea seemannii
- Hydrangea serrata
- Hydrangea serratifolia
- Hydrangea sikokiana
- Hydrangea species of Section Cornidia
- Hydrangea species of Sections Cardiandra and Deinanthe
- Hydrangea strigosa
- Hydrangea stylosa
- Hydrangea tomentella
- Hydrangea × versicolor
- Hydrangea viburnoides
- Hydrangea villosa
- Hydrangea xanthoneura
- Hydrangea × ytiensis
Evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub with glabrous branchlets. Leaves opposite. Leaf blade papery, oblong, 8–12 × 1.5–3 cm, with 5–6 secondary veins either side of midvein; both surfaces glabrous, dark green above, paler beneath; base acute; margin obscurely denticulate; apex acuminate; petiole ~1.5 cm, glabrous. Inflorescence a terminal corymb ~12 cm across, with glabrous branches; both sterile and fertile flowers present. Sterile flowers consisting largely of usually 4 white calyx lobes, variable in size and shape, with entire margins; fertile flowers cream. Fruit a globose, glabrous capsule ~3 mm across, dehiscing apically between the prominent, linear styles. (Li 1952; Li 1963; Crûg Farm Plants 2024; Woodleigh Nursery 2024).
Distribution Philippines Taiwan
Habitat Forests at lower altitudes (in Taiwan).
USDA Hardiness Zone 9-10
RHS Hardiness Rating H3
Conservation status Not evaluated (NE)
This tender, more or less evergreen subtropical species is rarely grown, and likely to suit only mild, sheltered spots at the margins of our area. It belongs to the Hydrangea scandens/pottingeri complex and shares that general ‘look’, with narrow, stiff, glossy leaves and moderately sized, terminal lacecaps, which have white sterile and creamy-white to yellowish fertile flowers (Crûg Farm Plants 2024; Woodleigh Nursery 2024).
It was first described from a herbarium specimen collected by Veitch employee Thomas Lobb on Java (Maximowicz 1867), and was later identified in Taiwan. Living collections include BSWJ 3214 from Eastern Taiwan (Crûg Farm Plants 2024), but there are probably others in circulation at low frequency. Life at the edge of hardiness seems to play havoc with its flowering time. With greenhouse protection in North Wales, UK, it flowers from summer to winter (Crûg Farm Plants 2024); in Brittany, France, where it has survived brief exposure to –5°C, it flowers in spring and summer (Sous Un Arbre Perché 2024); and in North Island, New Zealand – even here with a recommendation to protect from frost – it blooms in late winter and spring (Woodleigh Nursery 2024).
Until more is known about its garden performance, H. lobbii is best treated as a cool conservatory subject. Rooted cuttings can then be tried outdoors in likely spots.
