Schizophragma hydrangeoides — known in cultivation as Japanese hydrangea vine — grows through the deep forests of Japan where it has evolved to tolerate heavy shade and cling to whatever surface presents itself. Holdfasts and small aerial roots are its attachment mechanism, making it better suited to flat surfaces — stone, masonry, wood — than to chain link or wire. It is little known in American gardens, which is partly a function of that patience requirement: plants may take up to seven years after transplanting to produce their first flowers. For gardeners willing to think in that timeframe, it is among the most rewarding of all climbing plants.

Growth is slow to establish, then steady and tall, reaching 15 to 30 feet. Lacecap-like flowers appear from early to mid-summer, fragrant and cream-colored, their flat heads distinctive against the large deciduous leaves. It performs across a wide light range from full sun to full shade, but flowers most freely in partial or dappled light. Once established, it tolerates drought reasonably well, though it dislikes wet sites with standing water. Deer leave it alone.