Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris 'Flying Saucer' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris 'Flying Saucer' — 17cm / 2L
Climbing hydrangea 'Flying Saucer'

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris 'Flying Saucer'

£25.99
Hardy in the UKShade-tolerantLoved by pollinators
Pot size
17cm / 2L £25.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

Complete the set up
Description

Hydrangea petiolaris 'Flying Saucer' is a large-flowered selection of the familiar climbing hydrangea, Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris. It climbs in the same way, gripping walls, fences and tree trunks with aerial roots, and has the same broad, heart-shaped, glossy green leaves, but its flat, rounded lacecap heads are noticeably bigger than the ordinary form, with a wide collar of creamy white sterile florets around a centre of tiny fertile flowers. Held out flat from the stems, the heads really do look like saucers hovering against the foliage.

Hardiness and seasons. The species is rated H5 by the RHS and holds the Award of Garden Merit, and 'Flying Saucer' is every bit as tough, standing severe winters across most of the UK. It is deciduous: bare in winter, with the bright green leaves unfurling in spring, flowers from late May into July and a good butter yellow autumn colour before the leaves fall.

How and where to grow. Plant it at the foot of a wall, fence or mature tree and tie in the young shoots for the first season; after that it is self-clinging. It grows in sun, partial shade or full shade and is one of the best climbers for a north or east facing wall, though it flowers most freely where it gets some light. Any fertile, moist but well-drained soil suits it, ideally acid to neutral clay, loam or sand, in a spot sheltered from cold, drying winds. Slow to establish, it then grows strongly and can reach 8 to 10m with a spread of around 5m, so it is a climber for a whole house wall or a big tree.

Using it in the garden. Use 'Flying Saucer' where you would use the ordinary climbing hydrangea but want more flower: a shaded house wall, a north boundary fence, a garage or an old tree trunk. The fertile flowers are visited by bees and hoverflies, and the leafy curtain gives privacy and cover for garden birds. It combines well with ferns, hostas and shade-tolerant shrubs, and it will even grow as ground cover where there is nothing to climb.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

Find out more

What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

Best quality plants guaranteed
7 day live arrival guarantee
Delivered to your door with care
Earn 129 points with this plant · 5 points per £1 Join free

How to care for Climbing hydrangea 'Flying Saucer'

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
Get to know me

About Climbing hydrangea 'Flying Saucer'

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris 'Flying Saucer' needs full sun or partial shade or full shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Exotic Borders Screening & Privacy Shade Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Hardy Exotic (H5): down to around −15°C. Hardy through a cold UK winter.

Fully hardy, H5 (species rating). Deciduous, bare in winter. Read moreShow less

Fully hardy, H5 (species rating). Deciduous, bare in winter.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeFull shadeNorth-facingEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered
Sun, partial shade or full shade; excellent on a north or east facing wall, flowers best with some light. Read moreShow less

Sun, partial shade or full shade; excellent on a north or east facing wall, flowers best with some light.

Soil

ClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH
Fertile, moist but well-drained clay, loam or sand; acid to neutral. Read moreShow less

Fertile, moist but well-drained clay, loam or sand; acid to neutral.

Watering

Water well through the first two summers and mulch each spring to keep the roots cool. It is slow to start, then vigorous. Established plants need water only in long dry spells. Read moreShow less

Water well through the first two summers and mulch each spring to keep the roots cool. It is slow to start, then vigorous. Established plants need water only in long dry spells.

Mature size

Height8 to 10m
Spread4 to 5m

Reaches full size in 10 to 20 years

Growth habit

Climbing

Flowering

Early summer (late May to July) · White, Cream

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Flowers on the previous year's growth, so prune only to tidy or restrict size, straight after flowering in July (RHS pruning group 11). Overgrown plants can be reduced over two or three years rather than cut hard at once.

Toxicity

Harmful to dogs and cats if eaten. Contact with the sap can irritate skin, so wear gloves when pruning.

Native range

The species is native to Japan, South Korea, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands; 'Flying Saucer' is a garden selection.

Family

Hydrangeaceae

Also known as

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris 'Flying Saucer'

Genus

Hydrangea
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

How is 'Flying Saucer' different from the ordinary climbing hydrangea?

It is the same tough, self-clinging plant, but with noticeably larger, flatter lacecap heads and a wider collar of white sterile florets, so the summer display is bolder. Growth, hardiness and care are the same as Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris.

Will it grow on a north facing wall?

Yes. Climbing hydrangeas are among the best plants for north and east facing walls. It also grows in sun if the roots stay moist.

Does it need wires or a trellis?

No. Once established it clings to brick, stone, timber or bark with aerial roots. Tie in the young shoots during the first year.

How long does it take to flower?

It is slow for the first two or three years while it roots into the wall, then grows and flowers strongly. Patience in the early years pays off.

Is it toxic to pets?

Yes. Hydrangeas are harmful to dogs and cats if eaten, and the sap can irritate skin, so wear gloves when pruning.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

Verified reviews

Rated by real customers

You may also like

We recommend
Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris 'Flying Saucer'
£25.99