Dichroa
Dichroa
Hydrangea Family
Hydrangeaceae
Dichroa is a genus of 12 species of flowering plants in the family Hydrangeaceae, native to eastern and south-eastern Asia.
A large specimen of Dichroa febrifuga grows by the entrance to the Water Garden and on Petry's Path and, although it bears similarities to our Hydrangeas, it is in fact very different. From the foothills of the Himalayas, its flowers are dark blue and are followed by metallic dark blue fruits that far exceed the flowers in beauty. Its root are used as a treatment for malaria in China for at least 2000 years.