The Oakleaf Hydrangea is a deciduous shrub that can reach a height of 8 feet. It has fuzzy 4- to 12-inch oakleaf-shaped leaves when young. Late in the fall, the leaves turn red or purple. In the late spring and summer, a pyramidal cluster of white blossoms grows, eventually turning purple. In the fall, tiny, dry seeds mature. The common name refers to the plant’s leaves, which resemble those of Quercus (oak).
In full sun to part shade, the Oakleaf hydrangea thrives in organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils. It requires some sun to blossom, prefers moist soils, and benefits from a summer mulch that helps preserve moisture in the soil. On ancient wood, bloom appears. Immediately after flowering, prune if necessary (little pruning is usually needed). In the early spring, winter-damaged stems can be clipped. In USDA Zone 5, plants that aren’t fully established should be provided a sheltered position and winter protection (e.g., mulch, burlap cover). In hard winters (temperatures below -10 degrees F), plants can lose a large number of flower buds or die to the ground, reducing or completely eliminating the bloom for the next year.
Insects, diseases, or other plant problems: Leaf blight and powdery mildew are both susceptible to this plant. Aphids and spider mites make appearances on a regular basis. This shrub is very popular among deer.
It prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soil, which should be mulched to keep the roots cool (but not wet); sun or partial shade.
Blooms in May/June; blooms last all summer; leaves turn red, rust, and purple in the fall and can last well into the winter; no significant pest/disease problems; no serious pest/disease problems; Great for a shrub border or as a specimen plant; tolerates dry climates and sandy soil.
How do you prune a hydrangea quercifolia?
Reduce the wasted blooms to a huge pair of healthy buds. Cut down no more than a third of the plant at a time to diminish size. Not all branches should be trimmed back by a third. Blooms appear at the tips of branches, thus a general trim will only repeat the previous year’s pruning mistakes. If you want some blossoms next year, remove no more than a third of the entire branches. Light pruning in the winter or early spring will reduce the number of flowers but may result in larger blooms.
When should I prune my 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.
Do you cut back oakleaf hydrangeas?
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)
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 does an oakleaf hydrangea look like in winter?
If not removed, hydrangea flower heads turn dry and brown in the fall and will stay that way throughout winter. Hydrangeas shed their leaves in the fall as well, but their brown stems remain upright unless clipped.
How do you prepare oakleaf hydrangeas for winter?
The most basic way is to pile shredded leaves or bark mulch around the base of the plant to a depth of about 12 inches. Place the mulch mound in place when the ground freezes in late fall, and then expose the plants in the spring when temperatures begin to rise above freezing.
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.
Why does my oakleaf hydrangea not bloom?
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.
Can hydrangeas be cut back hard?
If you’re not sure what kind of hydrangea you have, simply deadhead it and see how it grows. You can prune it harder next year if you find it producing blossoms on this year’s growth.
Do oakleaf hydrangeas lose their leaves?
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.