Heart-shaped leaves washed silver-blue between dark green veins cover this false hydrangea vine, with large white flower clusters in midsummer. Schizophragma hydrangeoides 'Moonlight' climbs 20 to 30 feet with a 10 to 15 foot spread in part shade, hardy from Zone 5 through Zone 8.
The silver foliage shows from spring to fall, long before and after the flowers, and looks best out of hot afternoon sun. Bees visit the fertile flowers in the center of each cluster.
Climbing hydrangea and its close relative, false hydrangea vine (Schizophragma), climb by aerial rootlets that grip brick, stone, wood and tree bark without any tying. They get heavy with age and need a solid support, such as a masonry wall, a sturdy fence or arbor, or a large tree trunk. The rootlets can mark paint and work into siding, so a painted or sided wall makes a poor host.
Both are slow to start. Most of the first few years goes into roots and anchoring, and flowering can take several years to begin, after which growth picks up quickly. They bloom on old wood, so any pruning to keep them in bounds comes right after flowering. With nothing to climb, both will also grow as a groundcover or trail over a wall.
It covers a masonry wall, a large tree trunk or a shaded fence.
