Hydrangea paniculata , commonly known as the panicled hydrangea , is a species of Hydrangea found in eastern China , Korea , Japan , and Sakhalin . It was first formally described by Philipp Franz von Siebold in 1829. In late summer parent has much larger flowers, first white, then purplish-pink, then brown; to 12" x 18", especially large if the shrub is pruned to a few stems.