Oakleaf Hydrangea

Description

Botanical Name:  Hydrangea quercifolia

Common Name:  Oakleaf Hydrangea

Description:  Beautiful shrub native to Florida and the Southeast US. This is an understory shrub that likes part sun to part shade. Too much sun and the huge leaves will burn. Too much shade and it won’t bloom. It looks gorgeous planted under live oaks or other large shade trees. Upright and sprawling deciduous shrub grows 6-12′ tall and wide. The large cone-shaped clusters of flowers bloom late spring into summer, are white, and do not change colors according to the soil pH. The flowers will fade to a pinky color as they age.  Likes good draining but moist soil, and takes our heat and humidity just fine. An easy to grow hydrangea. The huge leaves, 8-12″ long and wide, turn a variety of vivid colors in the fall before dropping. Plant in clay, loamy, or sandy soils that are acidic to circumneutral. The bark of oakleaf hydrangea exfoliates and is very beautiful.

Attracts honeybees, along with native bees including bumblebees and syrphid flies. Pollinators are attracted to the small fertile flowers (the large flowers are sterile). Birds like to eat the seeds.

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray.

This plant in 1-gallon containers is 8-15″ tall

This plant in 3-gallon containers is 1.5-3′ tall.

This plant in 7-gallon containers is 3-5′ tall.

Plant Lore:  The broad, dark green leaves are oakleaf-shaped, giving the plant its name.

Florida Hardiness Zones 8 – 9