After the shrub flowers, prune the older growth off oakleaf hydrangeas. To avoid cutting off next year’s blossoms, take one-third of the overall growth or less. A light trim is beneficial to oakleaf hydrangeas, but they do not require significant pruning to maintain their shape. With this shrub, less pruning is ideal.
When should you cut back oakleaf hydrangea?
The oakleaf hydrangea is a deciduous, blooming shrub that is great for borders, bulk planting, and foundation planting. The flowers are pink, pastel purple, and creamy white in color and bloom throughout the summer and fall. Although this hydrangea doesn’t require much pruning, a little cut once a year will keep it looking tidy. Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on the previous season’s growth, so prune in the fall or early winter after blossoming.
Should oakleaf hydrangeas be pruned?
Soil Oakleaf hydrangea grows best in moist, organic, fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil with a pH of 5.06.5. It is drought resilient once planted, but it does benefit from water in extremely dry conditions. It’s critical to have good drainage. Although the plant prefers damp soil, wet feet are not an option.
Full to moderate shade is fine for this shrub.
It does, however, perform better when exposed to the sun for at least a full day or more, resulting in a richer floral show, stronger stems, and more beautiful autumn foliage.
Some cultivars can tolerate a more sunny location. On the other hand, heavy shadow produces fewer blossoms but larger leaves.
Trimming – Oakleaf hydrangeas require very little pruning, if any at all.
If pruning is required to shape or reduce the size of the shrub, do so soon after the flowers have faded.
Late in the summer, this shrub produces bloom buds for the next year.
To put it another way, it grows on ancient wood.
Pruning at any other time of year will result in the loss of the blossoms for the next year.
Insects This plant is rarely bothered by insects, with the exception of spider mites and aphids.
Deer will nibble on this plant, especially the sensitive, new spring foliage, so use a deer repellent or a physical barrier to protect it.
Propagation – Stem cuttings can be used to propagate the plant. The plant can also be propagated by layering because the branches are low to the ground.
When used as a solitary specimen, a backdrop to smaller shrubs, bulbs, or perennials, a component of a mixed border, a deciduous hedge, or a mass planting, oakleaf hydrangea is a powerful yet elegant shrub.
If oakleaf hydrangeas have a flaw, it’s that their enormous, coarsely textured foliage might be intimidating to a novice gardener. Rest confident that the foliage mixes in beautifully with plants with smaller leaves. Evergreens, for example, with their finer needles and scaly branches, provide a nice contrast. Boxwoods’ more formal round shape and compact, thick leaves contrast nicely with the looser appearance of oakleaf hydrangea. Oakleaf hydrangeas pair well with taller ferns like ostrich or cinnamon ferns, as well as shorter grass-like plants like liriope.
Easy-care The oakleaf hydrangea is particularly beneficial in the landscape because it provides year-round interest. It makes an immediate impact in the spring when its bold, beautiful leaf emerges. In the summer, the dark green foliage contrasts with the huge, long-lasting clusters of creamy white or pink blooms. Many cultivars mature to a medium pink or deep rose color over time. With its rich, deep burgundy/purple foliage that lasts all winter, the oakleaf hydrangea really shines in the fall. Additional interest is provided by the dried tan or light brown flower heads. The flaking tan bark adds a tactile aspect to the white environment in the winter.
An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hardy Trees and Shrubs by Dirr (Dirr, Michael A., 1997)
“Selection, Pruning, and Care of Hydrangea,” (ext.vt.edu/chesapeake/programs/anr/Pruning) Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication
“Problem-Free Shrubs for Virginia Landscapes,” according to the author. 450-236 (ext.vt.edu/450/450-236/) is a Virginia Cooperative Extension publication.
HORT-84P (ext.vt.edu/HORT/HORT-84/), “Selecting Plants for Virginia Landscapes: Showy Flowering Shrubs,” Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication HORT-84P (ext.vt.edu/HORT/HORT-84/), “Selecting Plants for Virginia Landscapes: Showy Flowering Shrubs,” Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication HORT-84P (
Hydrangea quercifolia, University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources Plant Database (hort.uconn.edu)
Cooperative Extension of North Carolina State University (plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/all/hydrangea-spp)
Hydrangea Production at Tennessee State University (tnstate.edu/faculty/ablalock/documents/Hydrangea)
Can you cut oakleaf hydrangea to the ground?
The oakleaf hydrangea blooms in whites and creams with cone-shaped flowers. Its leaves are deeply cut and resemble those of an oak tree. It’s a hardy shrub that thrives in both full sun and full shade.
H. quercifolia blooms on old wood, or growth from the previous season. Unless it is injured or overgrown, it does not require pruning. Remove the dead flower heads slightly beneath the bloom if you want to clean it up.
Remove a few of the oldest, thickest stems all the way to the ground if your oakleaf hydrangea is really old and woody. However, because it blooms on old wood, cutting the entire plant to the ground will result in the loss of an entire season’s worth of blossoms.
Cut back these shrubs in late winter before new growth begins
Shrubs that flower on young wood bloom later than old-growth bloomers, beginning in June and continuing until the first frost, because they need to grow and set buds the same year they bloom. If you avoid trimming when the flower buds are opening, these shrubs will forgive you if you don’t prune at a specific time.
1. Cut the blooms all the way back to get bigger flowers.
These shrubs can be pruned all the way back to the ground in late winter or early spring. Smooth hydrangeas will produce much larger flowers if cut severely every year like this, but many gardeners prefer smaller blooms on stronger branches.
2. To reduce flopping, leave an old growth framework.
The weight of the blossoms on certain hydrangea branches causes them to tumble over, especially after overhead irrigation or a strong storm. Cutting the stems to a height of 18 to 24 inches to offer a robust framework to support new growth is one approach to reduce this flopping.
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service’s horticulture specialist is Janet Carson.
What happens if you don’t prune hydrangeas?
Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood don’t require pruning and benefit from it. They’ll blossom more freely the next season if you leave them alone. Just keep in mind that while new growth will appear next season, it will be devoid of blossoms.
Do oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood?
Some hydrangeas, like Limelight green hydrangea, bloom every year on new wood. Oakleaf hydrangeas, on the other hand, bloom on old wood from the previous year.
Before you enjoy the blooms, the buds that will become beautiful oakleaf flowers form on stems in the summer. Always prune oakleaf hydrangeas as soon as they complete flowering to prevent the formation of next year’s buds. If you wait too long, you can lose all of the bloom buds you’re hoping for.
An oakleaf hydrangea may provide beauty to your house and landscape every month of the year, whether you grow in a little space or have plenty of room. Pennington is here to help you take your landscape and garden to new heights all year long with timely advice and superior lawn and garden products.
How do you prune a mophead hydrangea?
There are numerous factors that determine the type of gardener a person is. Some of us prefer to clean up in the spring, while others prefer to clean up in the fall; some prefer to prune woodies in the fall, while others prefer to prune in the spring. If you like to prune in the spring, now is the time to get your pruners out and get to work! Hydrangea macrophylla is one of the plants that is frequently clipped at this time of year.
- removing stems older than three years; large complicated branches; branches that cross the center and tend to rub on more attractive stems; stems that run horizontally over the ground and root, increasing the overall size of the plant
- Take a time to consider the plant’s overall shape and size. Is it too big for the room? Hydrangeas in foundation plantings have a tendency to flop over “Consider widening the bed to accommodate the mature size of the plants, rather than pruning the plant back to an unnatural-looking shape. * ‘Nikko Blue’ Hydrangeas, in particular, have a tendency to grow very tall and wide, covering windows and brushing against shingles on the side of the house. If you are battling huge plants, consider replacing them with a smaller ‘Nikko Blue’ Hydrangea.
- All spent flowers should be removed from the tips of the stems, and all pruning cuts should be performed just above a healthy set of buds “If there are no fading flowers to remove, “tip branches.” If too much material is removed, the plant may not flower at all. Buds overwintering in the top half of the plant have the potential to flower.
- Remove any stems that are dead or broken. Wherever possible, it is best to remove dead stems completely at ground level.
- Following the criteria above, remove about a third of the overall mass of the stems. This promotes flower bud production and vigorous new growth from the base by increasing sun and air circulation in the middle of the plant.
- If necessary, cut the shrub back to a few feet from the top to get it below a window or railing. Keep in mind that by the middle of the summer, the plant will have grown back to its normal size.
- Take a step back and examine your work. Make final cuttings to create a balanced, rounded shrub.
Do oakleaf hydrangeas lose their leaves in winter?
Hydrangeas are shrubs whose name comes from the Greek words for water (hydor) and vessel (angos), owing to their love of water and the shape of their seed pods, respectively. Hydrangeas are rarely recommended by Master Gardeners in Sonoma County because these strong, shade-loving shrubs with huge, dramatic blooms are better suited to locations with humid air and summer rains. One prominent exception is Hydrangea quercifolia, also known as the oakleaf hydrangea. It not only thrives in our climate, but it also makes a beautiful garden specimen, unlike the mophead and lacecap species. This is the only hydrangea on our list of Sonoma County’s Recommended Plants.
H. quercifolia is called after its deeply lobed leaves, which resemble those of the northern red oak. It is native to the Southeastern United States (Quercus rubra). Other hydrangeas’ leaves aren’t lobed, and the differences don’t end there. H. quercifolia leaves are also thick, coarse, sparsely serrated, and bristling with microscopic hairs on the undersides. Because of its thickness and pubescence (hairiness), it is the only hydrangea that can comfortably cohabit in our gardens with low-water Mediterranean and California native plants.
Oakleaf hydrangeas reach a mature height of 6-7 feet and a width of 7-8 feet, with a charming mounding habit that is less stylized than their spherical, more formal cousins in the genus. They not only require less water than other members of the genus, but they can also thrive in a variety of light conditions, from full sun to full shade, with dappled shade being optimal. Plants require more shade in the interior; the closer they are to the coast, the more light they can withstand.
There are no known disease or pest problems with H. quercifolia, and it grows slowly compared to other hydrangeas. As a result, it is a well-behaved garden citizen who does not require excessive care or water. All portions of the hydrangea, like those of other hydrangeas, are slightly poisonous if eaten.
Oakleaf hydrangea is known for its white, conical summer blossoms that can grow to be nearly a foot long. But it doesn’t stop there. Oakleaf hydrangea foliage takes on a fall coat of gorgeous, dramatic color, ranging from crimson to purple to bronze, as many summer-flowering shrubs wither and drop their leaves.
Although it is technically deciduous, it retains its leaves until early winter. The naked shrub shows off its rusty, peeling branches and stems when they fall. The shredded, cinnamon-colored bark of older stems, reminiscent of manzanita and Arbutus, adds winter appeal. New growth emerges in the spring, with a stunning color and texture and soft, silky hairs.
H. quercifolia can be used as a single specimen, in small groups, or as a landscape border.
It’s also used in mass plantings in some large gardens. There are identified types that are supposed to boost bloom size and shape while also producing larger plantssome reaching 15 feet in heightand should be picked with caution. ‘Snowflake’ is a popular choice, but the flowers are a touch heavy; ‘Pee Wee’ and ‘Sikes Dwarf’, both in the 4-6 ft. range, are recommended for smaller gardens. ‘Munchkin’ stays at a height of 3 feet and a width of 3 feet.
Trick No. 1: Give Them a Soak
Bailey Hale, co-owner and floral operations manager of Ardelia Farm & Co. in Irasburg, Vermont, spoke with us. His suggestion for reviving fading hydrangea blooms? Soak them in water, blossoms and all. “Soak the blossoms for 30 to 40 minutes in warmish water,” he suggests.
Why? Hydrangeas take in water through the flower petals as well as the stems, according to Hale. Submerging your cut hydrangea allows the flowers to absorb a lot of water and rehydrate.
Trick No. 2: Cut the Stems
Hale also recommends trimming the stems. Many people are aware that cutting flower stems short helps bouquets live longer, but Hale believes there’s more to it: “The longer the stem, the more difficult it is for water to reach the flowers.”
How do you rejuvenate an old hydrangea?
Remove up to 1/3 of the older living stems down to the ground each summer to reinvigorate the hydrangea. The plant will be revitalized as a result of this. Cut back before late July to allow for the development of buds if necessary to keep the plant’s size under control. In most cases, the plant will quickly grow back to its original size.