THE NATIVE HYDRANGEAS
Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia): The oakleaf hydrangea is the southeast’s contribution the hydrangea clan, and a fine addition it is. The plant, unless pruned annually, gets a little taller than its northern kin -- up to 6 feet. It is also white-flowering but the flower heads are conical. Depending on the cultivar, the flowers starts apple-green, turn creamy-white, then pinkish, and finally rusty- brown. Meanwhile, the handsome deeply lobed leaves turn lovely shades in the fall, mostly purplish tones. What more could you want? What about attractive winter bark and seeds that the birds like? Well, the oakleaf hydrangea has that too.
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Where I live, zone 6, is pushing the oakleaf hydrangea’s winter hardiness but we have many of them, and, as far north as New York City, oakleaf hydrangea is a perennial border favorite of the Parks Department
Like its northern kin, oakleaf hydrangea will root sucker into a respectable colony. It is said to be an “old wood” flowering type but should be spring pruned because it is subject to winter damage north of, say, Georgia.
Comments (5)
I live in North Alabama. When is the best time to prune my oakleaf hydrangas--which are now about 7 feet tall.
Posted by Joan Lang | January 4, 2006 2:08 PM
Posted on January 4, 2006 14:08
Joan -- The oak leaf hydrangea is supposed to be an "old wood" bloomer, meaning that it bears flowers on prior years' growth. I say "supposed to be" because it's not clear whether all hydrangeas adhere to the hydrangea manual.
Since it's an old wood bloomer, in theory, you're supposed to prune the oak leaf hydrangea right after it finishes blooming in the fall.
However, I find you can prune it in early spring as long as you don't prune all the way to the ground -- leave at least 3 or 4 sets of buds on each stem. This definitely works for the "mopheads". If you try it, let me know how much flower you get this year. Worse case, you loose one year of flowers.
Since your bushes are so tall, if you're going to cut them back substantially, you might consider going a little easier on the plant by cutting half the stems this year and half next.
Let me know how this works out for you.
Sue
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Posted by S. W. Sweeney | January 4, 2006 3:35 PM
Posted on January 4, 2006 15:35
I live in Tampa Fla. Will oak leafs hydrangas grow here? I have a nice spot under a live oak tree.
Posted by RICH CARLSON | June 8, 2006 9:53 PM
Posted on June 8, 2006 21:53
our oak leaf hydrangas only get one flower each year. we have had them for several years and each year its the same - one flower. what can we do?
Posted by george - tallahassee | July 10, 2006 9:36 AM
Posted on July 10, 2006 09:36
Have the plants been pruned?
How much sun are they getting?
How often do the plants get watered?
At 05:04 PM 7/10/2006, you wrote:
pruned yes. sun a litle afternoon not much, watered once a week
pruning could be the problem. try not doing that for a year and see what happens.
Posted by S. W. Sweeney | July 24, 2006 3:29 PM
Posted on July 24, 2006 15:29