Oakleaf Hydrangea - A Seasonal Delight
Using
natives in a
woodland situation makes
a lot of sense when you consider that almost all of Virginia was
woodland prior
to the pilgrims
These
are
plants that are tolerant of our summer droughts and flourish in our
climate. Weeding
and watering should be
almost non-existent once the beds are established. I’m
not
much
of a shrub person but Oakleaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea quercifolia
(querci-
oak, and folia - leaf) is quite the exception.
This is an American native, ranging from Tennessee to
Florida
and
west to the Mississippi River. We
are a
bit north of its native range but it does extremely well here in
Virginia. It grows
naturally in forests,
along streams
and on forested hillsides.
Oakleaf
Hydrangea is not a
plant for a small garden since it can grow up to 12 feet tall and wide,
although 8 feet is more likely. It
has
huge oak shaped leaves larger than my hand.
The sheer size of the leaves gives this shrub a bit of
chunky
look
however, it somehow manages to remain elegant in the process.
The beautiful clusters of
blooms, which can
easily be 12 inches, are cone shaped instead of “popcorn
ball” shaped. This
alone would make
this shrub worth
planting. But that
is just the
beginning of the attributes of this plant.
This plant is a superstar for all seasons!
By early summer the clusters go into full bloom. I’ve read that some people have had trouble getting them to bloom until they are established but I’ve planted lots of them in several different beds and have never had a problem. They have always bloomed the first year for me. The Oakleaf Hydrangea actually has two flowers, larger white sterile flowers and smaller creamy fertile flowers. Unlike other hydrangeas, you cannot change the color of the blooms by changing the ph. As the summer progresses the blooms start to turn a light pink and by August they turn rose colored.
By
Autumn the
blooms have
turned tan but still manage to look good.
You could cut them at this point and add them to dried
arrangements
indoors. But
it’s the leaves that
are
the most impressive part of this shrub at this time of year. They turn various shades
of wine, red,
bronze, yellow and gold. The
more
sunlight this plant gets the more varied the leaf colors will be. Additionally, the leaves
“hang on”
well into
November and sometimes even into December.
In winter, once it drops its leaves, you are in for another treat. This shrub has great bark. The cinnamon-orange colored bark of the larger stems have a shredded look while the younger stems have soft copper colored fuzz on them.
Believe it or not, we still haven’t covered all the attributes this plant has to offer – I find it very easy to grow. I have never had any disease issues or insect problems. It is very drought resistant once it is established. It blooms heavily in shade and the white color really pops in a woodland garden. This plant never needs pruning – but you can prune it if you want to shape it or even prune in spring to limit the amount of blooms but make them even larger.
With all those wonderful attributes you have to forgive this plants few problems. Deer can be a problem. It does tend to form colonies using underground shoots once it is established. It may take two or three years to really come into it’s own. This plant carries its weight all year round in a garden – shining from one season to the next.
__________________________________ "Dragoons,
I tell you the white hydrangeas turn rust & go soon.
Already mid September a line of brown runs over them.
One sunset after another tracks the faces, the petals.
Waiting, they look over the fence for what way they go."
-Carl Sandburg
(1878-1967)