Why my neighbors’ Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snow Flake’ is so colorful is beyond me. My own unnamed oakleaf goes right from green to brown. Maybe it’s those hot hort researchers again, making our favorite plants better.
But while I’m at it, let me sing the praises of all oakleaf hydrangeas, no matter the coloration. Talk about your can-do plant. Full sun to full shade - no problem. Pruning? Not needed. Unlike almost all hydrangeas, it’s not particularly thirsty. And whether as lone accents or massed as they are here, they’re spectacular in three seasons.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
PamJ 11.15.05 at 10:48 pm
Is this the kind of hydrangea you gave me? I never had a chance to enjoy it b/c — as I think I told you —- the deer ate it the first night it was in the ground. Yummy! they said.
Takoma Gardener 11.16.05 at 6:36 am
The deer-food I gave you is a hydrangea macrophylla or “big-leaf” hydrangea, specifically a mophead. Maybe you could try netting it so if the deer eat it at least they’ll be doing their flossing.
Gardening crash-test dummy 11.16.05 at 8:59 am
Delicious hydrangea. I can see why you’d be a bit peeved if yours wasn’t showing these colours - I’d feel the same.
We’re hoping to get hold of a hydrangea for our shade beds but I’ve never seen it in an oakleaf before. I shall chase one up - they look great.
Alice 11.19.05 at 5:27 am
I’m hoping for great things from the oak-leafed hydrangea I bought a couple of months ago. They do look stunning in the autumn, and since I’m more into leaves, texture and shape than flowers, I’m looking forward to that.
Anne 11.26.05 at 3:46 pm
Beautiful, Susan! My new, tiny oakleaf gave me a couple of brown leaves, and a couple of colorful ones. The one that’s a year older is still green! So much for microclimates! I can’t wait until they get bigger.