 Hydrangea aspera orginate from the Himalayas, west and central China, Taiwan, Sumatra and Java and were introduced to the Uk in 1908 by Ernest Wilson.  Hot Chocolate is an exciting and new cultivar with domed, lace cap flowers that cover a spectrum of colour from pale, dusky pink to deep blue mauve, with an almost iridescent blue haze at dusk.  Flowers are produced from June to September and will be the same colours in any soil.  A large shrub, but more compact than aspera, with felted stems and large, pointed, leaves with a chocolate brown felted reverse, that turn to amber and golden hues in autumn.  However you perceive it, the fact it makes a stunning statement cannot be deined!    A wonderful accent plant in the borders or in large containers. In containers use a good quality John Innes compost as this plant will be there a long time and peaty types of compost eventually degrade, become too packed and choke the roots. Ensure you feed regularly as a hungry plant is a poor performer. We recommend Osmoscote pro 8-9 month applied in the early spring. One application gives all the nutrients the plant requires for the whole year. John Innes is a soils based compost. This plant flowers on two year old wood so do not prune until after it has flowered!
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