PlantFiles: Blue Evergreen Hydrangea, Chinese Quinine
Dichroa febrifuga

I have just bought this amazingly beautiful plant in full 'berry' at Portland Nursery. I am going to plant it in morning sun.

Purchased this plant because it was labeled for full shade. I've found that in full shade, it's a bit weak and has had few blooms. I'm transplanting it this spring to a part-shade location and hope it will succeed.

Mine was grown from a cutting from a plant purchased from the late lamented Heronswood Nursery. It gets dappled morning sun, filtered afternoon sun. Because it is planted near the foundation of my house, its flowers were pink rather than blue, but a little aluminum sulfate fixed that problem in one season. It sometimes suffers from a little frost damage (on Bainbridge Island, Washington) but comes right back. I root layered a cutting for a friend over the winter, and hers is doing fine. Love the leaf color, blue flowers, and bright blue berries. I have it near some Sarcacocca, an Actea that gets white berries on red stems in the fall, and a Kerria that has double yellow flowers in spring. It is a great compliment to all.

This beautiful plant is a traditional Chinese medicinal. It is an emetic, purgative, feverfuge, expectorant and antimalarial but since it causes nausea and/or vomiting as a side effect and may have some toxicity it is best used as a last resort or emergency medicine.

It needs loose, loamy, moist soil to thrive and seems to prefer areas with high humidity and light shade.

Best bloom color is achieved with acid soil, so if your soil isn't acid, use an acid plant food or water with acidified water.

I planted this plant last year. It hasnt grown but about7inches. the leaves look like they have rust on them. I'm disappointed with the lack of growth. Don't know why it hasn't grown. I fertilized with miracle grow. still not growing. hydrangeas are everywhere in this area. My daughters hasnt grown either. She did get one flower. hers has rusty looking leaves also. she lives about 3 miles frm me.

Planted Summer of 2001 in small north facing city garden in San Francisco. It gets intense sun morning and early afternoon then plunged into deep shade from 2pm on. No diseases or pests, always beautiful lush foliage and light blue blooms June-August. Difficult to find in local nurseries but a great plant.

planted in summer of 2002. survived 8 degree temp. this winter with no damage. Flowers started to appear in mid may and buds are opening now in early June. Plant gets morning sun but protected from hot afternoon sun. It is about 2' high by 3' wide.