Oakleaf hydrangea is a plant for all seasons
Editor’s Note: Several Oklahoma County Master Gardeners will rotate in writing the every-otherweek gardening column from the Cooperative Extension Service. This week, welcome Extension Master Gardener.
All gardeners have their favorites, and one of mine is the Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia).
There are many reasons, but one is that it gives beauty and interest in every season of the year.
This shrub can grow to a height of 15 feet and spread to fill large spaces. Each summer it gives us huge coneshaped clusters of white flowers. The flowers stay on for months.
These flowers change to light pink as they age. The summer foliage before and after blooming is spectacular. The leaves can reach from
8 to 12 inches long and almost as wide.
It is called Oakleaf for a reason. The broad, dark green leaves are oak-shaped. The foliage and flowers hang on for a long time. The flowers take on a dried appearance as they turn light brown toward the end of summer.
As the summer ends and the fall begins, Oakleaf Hydrangea puts on a different show. Those large leaves begin providing brilliant colors of red, orange, burgundy or yellow. It is hard to say which season of this plant is my favorite, but it just might be the fall. The foliage provides fall color for your landscape.
My Oakleaf is planted next to my home, and it seems to like it there. It can be used as an understory plant under larger trees. I like the fall color next to our home. It serves as a fall decoration.
When winter comes and the foliage eventually falls away, you see the interesting bark that peels back along its stems. Even in winter, the Oakleaf shines in your garden. Planting an evergreen behind or near allows the Oakleaf hydrangea to show off its bark in the dead of winter. When there isn’t much to look at in your garden this exfoliating bark draws you eye to the interesting way it sheds.
Oakleaf hydrangea is a native plant to the United States. You cannot change its color by regulating the pH. This plant blooms of old growth. You can prune it, but it is not necessary. If you prune to shape the shrub, don’t expect flowers that next season. The time to prune is when the flowers fade.
If you need a shrub that can shine in the shade, Oakleaf hydrangea could be just what you are looking for. The plant will tolerate dry soil and likes semi-shady locations. It performs well if planted in a fertile, welldrained soil. However, it does not like wet feet.
Pick a location that has partial to almost full shade. In Oklahoma, it needs some shade. Be sure to provide water until established. The book says it is hardy in zones 5-9. This is a great plant for Oklahoma.