Plant ID please

[evaperonspoodle]

Saw this on holiday and would love to have one in my garden, what is it and more importantly will it survive in British climes (NW)?

Pretty sure that’s a Hydrangea - maybe like this one?

I think the colour of the flowers often depends on the acidity of your soil. We have a pink/blue one in our garden (also NW) but in a pot as they only really thrive in well-drained soil (we have clay).

More info here

I wouldn't have thought it was a hydrangea, I have a few in my garden and the 'heads' are much bushier and the leaves bigger. Maybe this is a Mediterranean variety?

The photo isn't great but the plant seemed quite 'traily' if that makes sense and had a really nice smell at night. The actual flowers weren't that big and reminded me of the verbena trailing container plants that are sold in the summer.

It's not Hydrangea, it's Lantana camara an exotic half-hardy shrub, which would only survive in the mildest south west of England in a good winter. Very common in Mediterranean countries, but not frost hardy.

Oh thanks Nan, will look it up, it's a shame that it won't survive the winter. Could I over winter it in the house?

Not sure about keeping it in the house, eva, a frost free greenhouse would be the best bet. They can grow quite large in time. I did plant a small one in the garden a few years ago, knowing it wouldn't survive the winter, and just treated it as an annual. Bees and insects love it, as you probably noticed, as do Humming bird hawk moths, and I believe it is in the Verbena family.

Is it fast growing? Sarah Raven is selling 9cm plants that will arrive in May. I'm wondering if there is any point though if it might not survive the winter? It's the tutti fruiti variety just in case any one else is interested to get one.

It grows like a bugger in Australia, and is a notifiable weed, to be exterminated. 🔥 Close-clipped it makes a nice hedge. True it needs free draining soil, and thrives on disturbed soil. I like its colour and grapefruit smell.

It's not hardy in the UK - I've got a very sheltered corner in my garden and have managed to keep other things going, but not that.
It's a tender perennial (zone 7) and it will live happily outdoors the rest of the year, but not when the temperature goes below zero. I don't expect it would like the wet and the wind we get in the winter either.