Hydrangea paniculata Cultivars M–R

'Mount Aso'

Confusion surrounds this name, not least because a cultivar of H. serrata also carries a similar set of miscellaneously spelled names (see H. serrata ‘Mont Aso’). It seems that Jelena and Robert de Belder raised a wild-type open-panicle plant from seed collected on Mount Aso, Kyushu in 1967. It was medium height, well branched and very late flowering, sometimes continuing into November, and proved a useful rootstock for grafting. Seedlings from it have also appeared in the trade under the same name(s). (van Gelderen & van Gelderen 2004; see also Hoffman & Houtman 2007; Hydrangea Derby 2023; Association Shamrock 2022)

Hydrangea paniculata 'Mount Aso' in Darley Park, Derby, UK (28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Mount Aso', a wild-origin plant which appears under a variety of very similar names (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

'October Bride'

Open panicles; flowers white at maturity, pinking a little with age; sturdy and vigorous, especially when pruned, with straight red stems; leaves arranged very neatly and regularly. Its main virtue is late flowering, putting on a good display in October and even November. Selected 1967 by the de Belders. There may be two plants circulating under this name, one of them more compact with larger, paler green leaves. (van Gelderen & van Gelderen 2004; Hydrangea Derby 2023)

Hydrangea paniculata 'October Bride': tall, straight stemmed and late flowering (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

The open panicles of Hydrangea paniculata 'October Bride' (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

'Phantom'

Very dense, somewhat rounded panicles with very few fertile flowers; sterile flowers yellowish opening white, finally ageing reddish; very strong green stems support the large heads well. Flowering in trials mid July – late September (Wisley), July – October (Euro), mid July – early October (Chicago). An outstanding and popular taller variety highly rated in all trials, a great improvement on the classic ‘Grandiflora’. Raised by Peter Zwijnenburg, Boskoop, the Netherlands, by 1990. (Lancaster & Wesley 2008; Hoffman & Houtman 2007; Hawke 2022)

Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' has some of the largest heads of all the cultivars grown at RHS Garden Wisley, UK. 19 July 2023. Image Jack Aldridge.

With lighter pruning, Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' has smaller but no less effective inflorescences (Yorkshire Arboretum, UK; 9 August 2023). Image John Grimshaw.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' flowers ultimately take on reddish shades (RHS Garden Wisley, UK; 20 October 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Strong stems support the heavy heads well in Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' (private garden, Ayrshire, UK; 24 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' flowers turn creamy and pinkish as they age (RHS Garden Rosemoor, UK; 6 September 2021). Image Julian Sutton.

Pruned hard, the very dense inflorescences of Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' can be large (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Ageing inflorescences on Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' with autumn well advanced. Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania. 31 October 2025. Image Tom Christian.

'Piihp-I'

Half open, shortly conical panicles; flowers white, ageing pink in cooler climates; a compact cultivar with strong, dark red-brown stems; attractive dark green leaves. Selected 2006 at Plant Introductions Inc., University of Georgia, and protected by US Plant Patent PP23387. (Dirr 2021; Google Patents 2023; pers. obs. 2023)

Hydrangea paniculata 'Piihp-I', a cultivar raised in the American Southeast (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Flowers of Hydrangea paniculata 'Piihp-I' age pink in cooler climates (Yorkshire Arboretum, UK; 17 October 2023). Image John Grimshaw.

'Pink Lady'

Long, half open to dense panicles; sterile flowers creamy white, flushing pink from the sepal margins; leaves broad and handsome. Flowering in trials early July – early October (Wisley), late July – mid September (Chicago). An upright to arching plant benefitting from hard pruning. Raised by Peter Zwijnenburg, Boskoop, the Netherlands, before 1990; awarded AGM subject to availability in the Wisley trial. Plants in the Derby collection do not turn pink, suggesting that there may be some imposters going under this name. (Lancaster & Wesley 2008; Hawke 2022; Hydrangea Derby 2023)

Hydrangea paniculata labelled 'Pink Lady' in the UK National Collection, Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Pink Lady' has half open panicles. Flowers of this plant in the Derby collection do not age pink, suggesting that there may be imposters in circulation (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

'Praecox'

Open, somewhat flattened panicles of white flowers; early flowering, through July and August, sometimes starting in June. Leaves initially lime-green, dark green later, sometimes colouring yellow in autumn. Potentially a large shrub to 5 m when left unpruned, with strong, thick branches. A hexaploid (Reed & Rinehart 2009) collected on Hokkaido by Charles Sargent of the Arnold Arboretum in 1893 (Hoffman & Houtman 2007; Lancaster & Wesley 2008; van Gelderen & van Gelderen 2004).

Hydrangea paniculata 'Praecox' flowers early, its flowers already ageing when most cultivars are at their peak (private garden, Ayrshire, UK; 24 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Strong, upright shoots of Hydrangea paniculata 'Praecox' on a plant pruned annually to a short framework (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Left to its own devices, Hydrangea paniculata 'Praecox' can make a large shrub (private garden, Ayrshire, UK; 24 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

A hexaploid from Hokkaido, Hydrangea paniculata 'Praecox' has rather flattened panicles (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

'Renba'

Dense, broadly conical panicles; flowers initially white, quickly becoming pink from the panicle base, ageing deeper reddish pink; strong, dark reddish stems. In the summer heat of the American Southeast, there is some evidence that sepals are less susceptible to browning than in ‘Renhy’ and ‘Rensun’ (Dirr 2021). This and the following cultivars with a ‘Ren-’ prefix are from the breeding programme of nurseryman Jean Renault, Gorron, France; this is one of his more recent, selected 2009. Protected by European Plant Breeders’ Rights and US Plant Patent PP28509; marketed as FRAISE MELBA® in Europe, BERRY WHITE® in North America. (Google Patents 2023; pers. obs. 2023)

Hydrangea paniculata 'Renba' has strong, dark stems able to support the heavy panicles (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

The dense panicles of Hydrangea paniculata 'Renba' quickly blush pink from the base (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Renba' flowers age to a good deep reddish pink RHS Garden Wisley, UK; 20 October 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

'Rendia'

Large, broadly conical to rounded panicles, half open with the panicle loosely covered in sterile flowers; flowers initially white, quickly becoming pink and soon ageing to a rich red; the red stems are quite weak, especially in young plants, giving a floppy habit to this rather compact cultivar. While this is an excellent variety for flower colour, leaf spotting can make the foliage unattractive, something observed both in the United States and Britain, and even noted as characteristic in the the Plant Patent application! Selected 2007 by Jean Renault. Protected by European Plant Breeders’ Rights and US Plant Patent PP24667. (Hydrangea Derby 2023; Dirr 2021; Google Patents 2023; pers. obs. 2023)

Flowers of Hydrangea paniculata 'Rendia' age a rich red (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

'Renhy'

Panicles large and very dense, with very few fertile flowers; sterile flowers initially white, in cooler climates quickly becoming a good pink, later red but sometimes soon weathering brown, and not always colouring at all in the American Southeast; stems somewhat arching under the weight of the heads, sometimes very much so, especially in young plants. Once a firm framework of old wood has been established, the cascading effect later in the season can be most impressive. Flowering in trials mid July – early October (Wisley), late July – early October (Chicago). A low, spreading shrub in the Wisley trial, where hard pruning seemed to give less floppy stems; it can exceed 2 m. One of the first Renault cultivars, selected 2002 from a breeding line initiated several plant generations earlier by self pollinating H.p. ‘Unique’. Protected by European Plant Breeders’ Rights and US Plant Patent PP20670. (Lancaster & Wesley 2008; Hawke 2022; Hydrangea Derby 2023; Dirr 2021; Google Patents 2023)

A large group planting of Hydrangea paniculata 'Renhy' (VANILLE FRAISE) draws a crowd from great distances at the bottom of Battleston Hill at RHS Garden Wisley, UK (15 August 2023). Image Jack Aldridge.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Renhy' (VANILLE FRAISE) with panicles ageing to pink more quickly when grown in a sunnier position. RHS Garden Wisley, UK; 15 August 2023. Image Jack Aldridge.

Flowers of Hydrangea paniculata 'Renhy' (VANILLE FRAISE) quickly blush pink: this is the same plant as in the previous image, 8 days later (Yorkshire Arboretum, UK; 9 August 2023). Image John Grimshaw.

A large, established plant of Hydrangea paniculata 'Renhy'(VANILLE FRAISE) with its arching stems steals the scene in a private garden, Argyll & Bute, UK (22 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Renhy' (VANILLE FRAISE) has very dense, heavy panicles (private garden, Argyll & Bute, UK; 22 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Flowers of Hydrangea paniculata 'Renhy' (VANILLE FRAISE) open creamy white (Yorkshire Arboretum, UK; 1 August 2023). Image John Grimshaw.

'Rensun'

Dense panicles with 100% coverage of sterile flowers; flowers initially white, in cooler climates quickly becoming pink from the panicle base and soon ageing red. Compact habit, ‘the little sister of VANILLE FRAISE®’ (Dirr 2021), but the red stems are rather weak. Selected 2005 by Jean Renault. Protected by European Plant Breeders’ Rights and US Plant Patent PP25438. (Hydrangea Derby 2023; Dirr 2021; Google Patents 2023)

Hydrangea paniculata 'Rensun' makes a smaller shrub than its stablemate 'Renhy' (RHS Garden Wisley, UK; 20 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Rensun' flowers can age a good deep pink (Yorkshire Arboretum, UK; 23 October 2023). Image John Grimshaw.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Rensun' has dense panicles and a compact habit (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Rensun' flowers blush pink from the panicle base in cooler climates (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

'Renxolor'

Rounded to broadly conical, half open panicles; flowers first open creamy pale green, but soon develop an unusual blend of green, cream, and shades of pink across the panicles, the pnk often developing most at the sepal margins and tips. Compact and upright, with reddish stems. Selected 2014 or before, by Jean Renault. Protected by European Plant Breeders’ Rights. (Plantipp 2023; Association Shamrock 2022; pers. obs. 2023)

Hydrangea paniculata 'Renxolor' flowers first open pale, creamy green (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

Sterile flowers of Hydrangea paniculata 'Renxolor' soon develop pink tones, especially towards the sepal margins and tips (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

'Rou201306'

Dense, broadly conical panicles; flowers creamy white becoming pink; strong stems. A compact variety which stays well under 1 m tall with annual pruning. Selected by Guido Rouwette, Valkenburg, the Netherlands, by 2017; protected by European Plant Breeders’ Rights. (Plantipp 2023; Association Shamrock 2022; pers. obs. 2023).

Hydrangea paniculata 'Rou201306 is a very compact cultivar with strong stems (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.

'Ruby'

Open panicles with well distributed sterile flowers; flowers white, ageing pink then red; medium vigour, with strong reddish stems. Flowering late July – late September in the Chicago trial, where it was rated ‘good’. Selected 1992 by Jelena de Belder, Belgium, and distributed mainly in North America by Monrovia. Protected by US Plant Patent PP10751, now expired. (Google Patents 2023; Monrovia 2023; pers. obs. 2023)

Hydrangea paniculata 'Ruby' beginning to change colour on Battleston Hill at RHS Garden Wisley, UK. The strong stems are evident on this heavily flowering specimen (15 August 2023). Image Jack Aldridge.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Ruby' at the Shamrock Collection, Varengeville-sur-Mer, France. 10 August 2023. Image Jack Aldridge.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Ruby': inflorescences before pink and red tones develop (Morton Arboretum, Illinois). Image John Hagstrom, Courtesy of The Morton Arboretum.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Ruby' at the Morton Arboretum, Illinois. Image John Hagstrom, Courtesy of The Morton Arboretum.

A young specimen of Hydrangea paniculata 'Ruby' (Darley Park, Derby, UK; 28 August 2023). Image Julian Sutton.