Oak-leaved hydrangea

A medium-size of North American shrub, different from other hydrangeas and grown as much for its autumn leaf tints as for the loose pyramidal flower heads from mid-summer until well into autumn. The leaves are large and deeply lobed like those of an American oak, dark green until the autumn when they turn various shades of bronze, orange and reddish-purple. The flower-heads are large with numerous sterile florets that are long-stalked and star-shaped. Plants need shelter while young and grow well in dappled sunlight, as well as shade. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

Looks good with:

Athyrium filix-femina
Viburnum opulus 'Compactum'