flowers that bloom in fall are also intriguing . Ciscoe Morris has written that hardy scheffleras need extremely well-drained soil . I would caution that they are not completely drought tolerant either ( especially when grown in sunnier spots ) and so are not suitable for a xeriscape garden . Owing to space constraints , Schefflera delavayi is relegated to a patio container in my garden . Although it looks rather bedraggled at winter ’ s end , it regains its composure by early summer . In the Arboretum , you ’ ll find several nice specimens growing along the Loop Trail in the future China Forest section of Pacific Connections . A lovely specimen can also be seen in a border planting at Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island on the northeast corner of the Bloedels ’ former residence .
flowers and the exfoliating bark on the trunk and branches . Hydrangea aspera grows up to 12 feet high and wide but can be made narrower by pruning out arching side branches and shorter by cutting branches back to new buds . Like most hydrangeas , it prefers light shade and consistently moist soil .
Hydrangea aspera blooming by the Pacific Connections interpretive shelter in late summer .
( Photo by Niall Dunne )
Schefflera delavayi blooming along the Arboretum Loop Trail in the future China Forest section of Pacific Connections in early October . ( Photo by Niall Dunne )
If royal grevillea is the queen of grevilleas , then Hydrangea aspera may well be the queen of hydrangeas . Native to Southern China , India and Nepal , this deciduous midsummer-flowering beauty produces large , bold , lance-shaped leaves — up to 10 inches long — with a felt-like , almost sandpapery texture . The large , delicate , lace-cap blooms consist of tiny , purple fertile flowers surrounded by white to pink , sterile florets . The shrub ’ s open habit showcases the
Buttercup winter hazel , Corylopsis pauciflora , provides a welcome sight in late winter , just when it ’ s needed . Three-inch-long racemes of buttery yellow flowers cover its bare branches for about a month . Subtly corrugated , bright-green leaves emerge as the flowers fade . Later in the season , the yellow fall foliage glistens in the low autumn light . A dense , multi-stemmed deciduous shrub native to Taiwan and Japan , buttercup winter hazel grows up to five feet tall and eight feet wide . For best appearance and performance , plant it in a sheltered location with light-to-dappled shade and rich , well-drained soil . Like many of the plants profiled here , this is another Great Plant Picks selection for the Pacific Northwest .
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