Why Plant Oakleaf Hydrangea?
A better, all-around, four-season plant would be hard to find. Oakleaf Hydrangea has it all! This exceptional Accent is loved by landscape designers for its fresh white summer flowers, its bold green leaves that turn burgundy in fall, and its chunky tan stems with papery, peeling bark. It is loved by wildlife, too! The masses of tiny flowers create a frenzy among honey bees, bumblebees, and those gentle bee-lookalikes, hoverflies. Songbirds may nest in Oakleaf Hydrangea’s branches, and in the fall and winter, they may return to feed on its seeds. Loved by all!
A true southern belle, Oakleaf Hydrangea is native only as far north as Tennessee; its range then extends southward to Louisiana and Florida. Most plentiful in Mississippi and Alabama, it is also the state wildflower of Alabama. Despite its southern roots, however, Oakleaf Hydrangea is surprisingly cold-hardy (it tolerates temperatures to 20 below zero), and so it has become popular in other parts of the country as well. Its many ornamental attributes have earned it a place in gardens of many regions and of many types, both formal and informal.
How to use Oakleaf Hydrangea in the landscape?
Oakleaf Hydrangea’s big, cone-shaped flower clusters are composed of two kinds of blooms—the sterile flowers are large and showy and only exist to catch the eye of pollinators, while the tiny, fertile flowers provide the nourishment that bees need. Many modern selections of Oakleaf Hydrangea feature mainly sterile flowers. What we offer here is the “unimproved” form, with lots of fertile blooms to feed the pollinators.
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 5-9
How To Plant Oakleaf Hydrangea
Give Oakleaf Hydrangea a spot in the landscape where it will enjoy shade during the hottest part of the day. It will appreciate fertile soil that is rich in organic matter and well drained. Try to water it regularly in summer (weekly) if no rain falls; Oakleaf Hydrangea will tolerate somewhat dry conditions when established, but its foliage will be lusher with steady moisture. Young plants and those grown in the North may be shy about flowering. In any case, the handsome fall foliage is always a dependable feature. Leave the spent, papery brown flower heads for winter interest and then trim them off in early spring.
How To Water
When watering the Oakleaf Hydrangea you’ll want to check if the soil is dry first then, give a thorough watering. Avoid overwatering as the roots won’t take it easy!
How To Fertilize
In the spring, you’ll want to add our Elements Starter Plant Food in granular form for successful blooms.
How To Prune
The Oakleaf Hydrangea blooms on old wood, so you should be pruning in the late summer or early fall after flowers have been spent.
How Does Shipping Work?
Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.
*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.
Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.
Shipping Delays:
From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.
How Does Sizing Work?
The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)
Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.
All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!
See the size guides below.
