Oakleaf Hydrangea, Deciduous Shrub Of The Day

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen'
syn. Hydrangea platanifolia

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Type Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range 5B to 9A
Height 6' to 8' / 1.80m to 2.40m
Spread 6' to 8' / 1.80m to 2.40m
Growth rate Fast
Form Rounded and upright or erect
Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence Deciduous

Bloom Color Pink and white
Bloom Time Spring and Summer
The flowers are very showy, suitable for cut flowers and suitable for dried flowers.


Environment
This plant tolerates drought, occasional wetness and a little salt. This plant will grow in very dry to occasionally wet soil. Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay. The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.


Leaf Color
Green
Fall Color
Purple and red
This plant has attractive fall colors.


Culture Notes

Because of their size, most residential landscapes only need one or two of these plants. Especially attractive at the edge of woods or other natural settings, Oak-Leaf Hydrangea likes fertile, acid, well-drained soil, and requires no attention once it becomes established. It makes a nice accent in a shrub border or growing out of a ground cover. Flowers appear at the ends of short shoots with two to three sets of leaves. After plants have flowered, new shoots emerge from the base of the flower stalk. Flower buds for next year's display will develop in the terminal bud at the end of these shoots. Deer enjoy chewing the stems and will eat plants to the ground.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.
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