Hydrangea quercifolia, commonly known as听oakleaf hydrangea听or听oak-leaved hydrangea, is a听听辞蹿听听in the family听.听It is听听to the southeastern United States, in woodland habitats from听听west to听, and south to听听补苍诲听.听础听听shrub with white showy flower heads, it is grown as a garden plant, with numerous听听available commercially.
滨迟蝉听听combines the听听words听quercus听("oak"), and听folium听("leaf"). However, it is not closely related to oak species (Quercus).
Description
Hydrangea quercifolia听is a coarse-textured听听shrub growing to 3鈥�12 feet (0.91鈥�3.66听m)听tall with an open crown. The plant sprouts shoots from underground听听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听听and are 4鈥�12 in (10.2鈥�30.5听cm) long and almost as wide. They vaguely resemble larger versions of oak leaves, similar to听听species with lobed foliage. Plants in shade have larger leaves than those grown in sun. The leaves turn rich shades of red, bronze and purple in autumn that persist in winter accompanying the persistent dried flower-heads.
Flowers
Hydrangea quercifolia听flowers are borne in erect听听6鈥�12听in (15.2鈥�30.5听cm) tall and 3鈥�5听in (7.6鈥�12.7听cm) wide at branch tips. Flowers age in colour from creamy white, aging to pink and by autumn and winter are a dry, papery rusty-brown.
鲍苍濒颈办别听, flower color does not vary with听.
Hydrangea quercifolia听补苍诲听听are the only hydrangeas with cone-shaped flower clusters; all the others have their flowers in ball-shaped or flat-topped clusters, called umbels.
Distribution
Hydrangea quercifolia听is native to the south eastern United States (Alabama, Florida, Georgia (w.), Louisiana (e.), Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee), but naturalized in other parts of the US and widely cultivated elsewhere.
Uses
Garden history
Hydrangea quercifolia听was noted by 18th-century botanist听听in his botanizing exploration from the Carolinas to the Florida panhandle in the 1770s.听It was slow to enter British and American gardens. In Britain it flowers less profusely and even has a reputation for being tender.
Cultivation
Hydrangea quercifolia听is cultivated as an听听in gardens and parks. Though frequently seen as an isolated subject in gardens, it is at its best in a natural or landscaped woodland habitat against the backdrop of larger shrubs and trees. It prefers partial to almost full shade, with morning sun and afternoon shade as optimal. It will tolerate drought, but may not flower. It prefers slightly acidic soils with a听听of 5.0鈥�6.5. In the UK the听听厂苍辞飞蹿濒补办别=鈥楤谤颈诲辞鈥櫶共曰逄齋now Queen=鈥楩lemygea鈥櫶齢ave gained the听'蝉听.
Its hardiness is听听, with 'Snow Queen' hardy to Zone 5, while some other cultivars may not be.听Propagation is via cutting or division; short sections of clustered stems with some root attached will make a small shrub in a nursery row.
Fresh or dry, the blossoms of听Hydrangea quercifolia听are attractive as cut flowers.
Symbolism
Hydrangea quercifolia听was declared the official state wildflower of听听in 1999.