Meet the Oakleaf Hydrangea
Oakleaf Hydrangea | Hydrangea quercifolia
How do you know it’s me?:
I am a medium-large woody shrub. I have an open, loose form.
I am one of the only hydrangeas with a large, lobed leaf (like an oak tree!)
My leaves are opposite and rough-textured, with slightly fuzzy undersides.
My blooms are white cone-shaped plumes (though some varieties are flatter). The TRUE, fertile flowers are the fine, feathery bits underneath the sterile outer flower-shaped pieces.
Once mature, my reddish-brown bark will develop a peely texture.
How big do I grow?: 4’ - 10’ height and spread.
Sun-seeker or shade-lover: Part shade.
Where I prefer to put my roots: I enjoy organically rich, semi-moist, well-drained soils. I am a little more drought tolerant than many other hydrangeas.
Hardiness: Zone 5-9
Original home: I am native to the southeastern United States.
Colors: My flowers are typically white or very light pink/purple. I often have red, orange, and/or maroon fall leaf color.
When I bloom: Late spring through summer.
Wildlife friends: My blooms are attractive to butterflies, bees, and other pollinators, and songbirds will eat my seeds.
Flora Fun Facts: The name “quercifolia” refers to my leaf and its resemblance to an oak leaf. Oaks belong to the genus “Quercus.”
More Info: This hydrangea may not offer the color variety that its cousins do, but it boasts a bold texture and majestic white plumes of flowers in the spring and summer. Oftentimes, the blooms emerge a creamy white and slowly shift into a light pink or purple color, before fading to a papery brown. It’s a plant that continues to dazzle as it transforms through the seasons.
A member of the Hydrangeaceae (Hydrangea) family.
Pruning after flowering is recommended to revive and reshape this plant. Dwarf cultivars exist, bred to have a smaller and more compact shape.
Hydrangea makes a beautiful (albeit short-lived) cut flower. They are also great dried flowers.
All parts of the plant are slightly toxic if consumed.
This classic plant is a great addition to a butterfly garden, woodland garden, or as a specimen plant.
