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Oak-leaf hydrangea

Hydrangea quercifolia

Description:

Hydrangea quercifolia is a coarse-textured deciduous shrub growing to 8 meters tall with an open crown. The plant sprouts shoots from underground stolons and often grows in colonies. Young stems are covered in a felt-like light brown bark, and the larger stems have attractive cinnamon-tan-orange bark that shreds and peels in thin flakes. The leaves are yellowish green to dark green on top and silvery-white underneath. They have three, five or seven pointed lobes and are 4–12 in long and almost as wide. They are larger versions some oak leaves, resembling Quercus species with lobed foliage. Plants in shade have larger leaves than those grown in sun. Hydrangea quercifolia leaves turn rich shades of red, bronze and purple in autumn that persist in winter accompanying the persistent dried flower-heads.

Habitat:

Native to continental southeastern North America it grows in mixed hardwood forests, along streams and on forested hillsides, usually on calcareous soils, and often where limestone is at the ground surface. Hydrangea quercifolia is an understory shrub, often in the shade of large oaks, hickories, magnolias, American beech, etc.

Notes:

Growing in my UK garden. It's one of my favorite shrubs - the fall color of the leaves is always so spectacular!

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4 Comments

KarenL
KarenL 12 years ago

Thanks pinauta! This species doesn't have very showy blooms but the fall color makes up for that!

plnauta
plnauta 12 years ago

Those leaves are so nice.... the Portuguese Hydrangeas never get that dark red aspect ...

thanks for sharing

KarenL
KarenL 12 years ago

The ones I planted in Tennessee put on a very poor show this year but apparently it's been an Indian summer in England so there is still quite a lot in bloom here. This is quite a mature shrub that I planted about 10 years ago, so it's now about 10' tall & almost as wide & it looks really spectacular.

KristalWatrous
KristalWatrous 12 years ago

Beautiful. Yours is still blooming? Mine only bloomed in July - August. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/779...

KarenL
Spotted by
KarenL

Surrey Heath, England, United Kingdom

Spotted on Nov 14, 2011
Submitted on Nov 14, 2011

Spotted for Mission

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