oakleaf hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
MBG Plant of Merit; MBG Plant of Merit 2018; MBG Plant of Merit 2020
USDA zones5 to 9
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size4 to 8 feet tall4 to 8 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Habit
- Mounding
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- White
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fall color
- Red, bronze, purple
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
- Toxicity
- Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a shrub for borders, specimen plantings, woodland gardens, and shade gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and dry to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Its peeling bark adds winter interest, and the leaves turn red, bronze, and purple in fall. It blooms on old wood, so prune right after flowering.
Pairs well with Witch hazel, Christmas fern, Sedge, and Red twig dogwood.
Native range
North America.