To ask which of my plants is my favorite is like asking which of my children is my fave! A difficult topic to answer, but since I’m not in danger of hurting sensitive young egos, I’d have to say the oakleaf hydrangea is one of my favorites (Hydrangea quercifolia). The reason for this is that this is a plant that has four distinct seasons of appeal. That appeals to me since it saves me time, energy, and money. It rewards me in the spring, summer, fall, and winter once it has established.
Hydrangea quercifolia is a shrub that grows to be around six to eight feet tall, with a maximum height of ten to twelve feet. The huge, dark green leaves have silvery undersides and resemble the Northern Red Oak, from which it receives its popular name. It can be grown in zones 5 through 9.
Cone-shaped flowers can grow up to a foot in length. The blossoms start out white, then acquire a pink blush before turning red as the seasons pass. Single or double florets might be found.
Although the spring and summer are lovely and lush, I am looking forward to the warm days and cool nights of October and November, when the flowers change red and the foliage takes on a variety of yellow, orange, red, brown, and burgundy hues. In protected areas, the leaves last for a long time before falling to reveal an uneven branching structure of cinnamon-colored peeling bark. The contrast against a snowy white bedspread is breathtaking.
Oakleaf hydrangeas thrive in hotter climates, but they like some afternoon shade. It can be grown in full sun in its northern range. The more sun exposure you get, the more flowers you’ll receive, and the more stunning the fall color will be.
This shrub can survive drier soil than its mophead relatives, but not wet feet. Plant it in acidic, wet, well-drained soil supplemented with compost or other organic matter. It can be used as a specimen feature in the landscape or as a mass planting in shaded wooded regions.
Pruning is rarely essential, although it should be done after the flowers have faded and before August. Late summer and early fall are the best times to plant flower buds for the next year. By simply snipping off old flowers, you can “deadhead” them at any time. I like to leave the blossoms on the plant throughout the winter months so that I may enjoy them.
You can cut longer stems for flower arrangements before August if you’re cutting blossoms for arrangements. After that, only remove short stems to avoid losing next year’s blooms.
Oakleaf hydrangeas are generally pest and disease free. This is another bonus in my eyes because it means that plants will look and perform their best all year long without the need of chemicals (always a last resort in my book).
The double flowered variety ‘Snowflake’ is arguably the most popular. Its creamy white blossoms can reach a length of a foot.
In the spring, the foliage of ‘Little Honey’ turns golden, then chartreuse, then green, with a gorgeous burgundy red fall color.
Oakleaf hydrangeas are a perennial favorite in my yard. They’re lovely all year with stunning leaves, exquisite flowers, and fascinating bark, and they’re hardy in many regions of the country. They’re pest and disease resistant, bloom in the shade, and are very little maintenance. What more could we expect of a plant for our landscapes and gardens?
How do I get more blooms on my oakleaf hydrangea?
Oakleaf hydrangeas are low-maintenance plants that only require the following:
- Site and sunlight – Oakleaf hydrangeas thrive in broad sun to moderate shade in northern climates. Give them morning sun and protection from powerful afternoon rays in southern zones.
- Rich, well-drained, somewhat acidic soil is ideal for oakleaf. Take the time to amend your soil around planting time if you live in a region with a lot of clay. Pennington Acts Quickly Gypsum aids in water penetration and drainage, as well as loosening compacted soil and encouraging proper root growth. Pennington UltraGreen Plant Starter with Vitamin B1 also aids in the reduction of transplant shock.
- Water – Oakleaf hydrangeas thrive in soil that is evenly moist but never saturated. Thoroughly water the soil, then check it by hand before watering again. Avoid overwatering to avoid root rot. Wait a few days if the soil is damp before checking again.
- Fertilizer At planting time, use a complete fertilizer like Pennington UltraGreen All Purpose Plant Food 10-10-10 to provide your hydrangeas with the nutrition they require. Each year, feed your oakleaf with the same fertilizer or a flower-enhancing fertilizer like Pennington UltraGreen Color Blooms & Bulbs Plant Food 15-10-10 in early spring. Then, four months later, in mid-summer, feed it again.
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.
What month do you deadhead hydrangeas?
These are macrophylla hydrangeas (also known as mophead and lacecap) in purple, pink, and blue, as well as hydrangeas with oak-shaped leaves. Some cultivars only bloom once a year on last year’s stems (old wood), while reblooming variants bloom twice on new wood.
When the first set of blooms on your hydrangeas starts to turn brown and dry, it’s time to deadhead. Cut the stem slightly above the first set of leaves, below the flower head. You can deadhead again when the second set fades, but only until mid-August or so for reblooming kinds. After that, your hydrangeas will form buds for next year’s flowers, which you don’t want to chop off by accident. Dried flower heads left on the shrubs after the summer has passed might provide aesthetic appeal during the winter months.
Do hydrangeas benefit from deadheading?
Deadheading your hydrangeas provides aesthetic benefits, according to Myers, in addition to promoting future blooms. “Removing faded flowers gives the plant a nice and tidy appearance,” she continues, “which many gardeners prefer over the effect of keeping withered blooms on the plant.” Myers, on the other hand, believes that knowing when and how to deadhead your hydrangeas is dependent on the species. We asked her for tips on when and how to remove finished flowers from different species of hydrangeas, and she gave us the following advise.
Do oakleaf hydrangeas rebloom?
Growing oakleaf hydrangeas should not be difficult if you planted your hydrangea appropriately. These drought-tolerant native shrubs are completely disease- and pest-free once established.
According to oakleaf hydrangea information, the plants can reach a height of 10 feet (3 meters) and a spread of 8 feet (2 meters). If you haven’t given the hydrangeas enough room to grow to their full potential, you may need to start pruning them to keep them small enough for the space.
Oakleaf hydrangeas can be pruned to help them grow into a full shrub. If you want to do this, pinch back new growth or cut previous growth. Don’t prune these bushes before they bloom because they blossom on the previous year’s growth. This allows them to develop new buds, which will blossom the following summer.
Why are my oak leaf hydrangeas not blooming?
Oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia) are prized for their huge clusters of flowers and oak-like leaves. They are endemic to the southeastern United States. These plants are hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, but they grow slowly and may not blossom the first season. When properly cared for, they bloom quite predictably once established. Inadequate water or poor trimming procedures are the most common causes of a lack of blooms. Both can be easily corrected.
Do I cut off old hydrangea blooms?
French hydrangea, often known as bigleaf hydrangea, is hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9. Lacecaps and hortensias, or mopheads, are the two groupings of variants. Repeat bloomers are some types of French hydrangeas. ‘Twist-n-Shout’ is a lacecap variety, while reblooming mopheads include ‘Blushing Bride,’ ‘Endless Summer,’ ‘Mini Penny,’ and ‘Oak Hill.’ Late spring and early summer are the best times to see the flowers. While it is not necessary to remove the faded blossoms, snip the stems just below the dying flowers, above the emerging buds on the stem, to clean up the plant. After August 1, don’t prune the shrub; it requires time to establish new flower buds on the old wood. The amount of flowers produced the next summer may be reduced as a result of heavy pruning.
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.
Will hydrangeas rebloom if deadheaded?
There are things you can control and things you can’t control in this world. You can manage how many blooms hydrangeas produce, their size, their health, and even their bloom color in some situations. How to induce them to rebloom is one of the big questions. Will deadheaded hydrangeas blossom again? Should you provide them with more food?
Many blooming plants benefit from deadheading. It frequently encourages another bloom cycle and undoubtedly improves the aesthetic of the plant. It’s a straightforward procedure that involves returning the spent bloom, as well as any stalks, to the next growing node. The growthnode of some plants will produce more flowers in the same year. The node of other plants does not swell until the next year. Hydrangeas are an example of this.
They won’t rebloom, but deadheading will clean up the plant and make room for new flowers the next year.
Can I deadhead my hydrangeas now?
The flower heads of most hydrangeas are left on over the winter to protect the buds beneath, so they are clipped in the spring. Harder pruning is recommended for Hydrangea paniculata and Hydrangea aborescens. If you’re not sure what kind of hydrangea you have, simply deadhead it and see how it grows.