Dig into Plants: Oakleaf Hydrangea

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Scientific Name: Hydrangea quercifolia

Native to Alabama: Yes

Official state wildflower of Alabama

Oakleaf Hydrangea
Wikimedia – Anne Norman

Learn More About...

Basic Plant Information

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Stephanie Brundage

I am a vasuclar plant with woody stems above ground, so I am shrub.
I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous.
I die back in winter but regrow in spring for many seasons, so I am perennial.
I can grow 4 – 8 feet high and 6 – 8 feet wide.

Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:

Butterflies

Other Pollinators

Other Birds

This plant provides food for:

Smooth Hydrangea
(Hydrangea arborescens)

Maintenance Notes

Dormant in winter.
Flowers can be cut for an indoor vase.
Flowers remain on the plant throughout the winter.
Although pruning is not necessary, it can be cut back after flowering to help keep the plant smaller in size.
Stems damaged in the winter can be pruned in the spring.
Using mulch in the summer help keep the ground moist.
When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds. Water should reach all roots.
Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves.

Until established, water two times per week during the summer and once per week during the rest of the year.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:

Full Sun
(6+ hours of sun per day)

Part Sun/Shade
(2-6 hours of sun per day)

Average Watering

Well-drained, Loamy,
or Moist Soil

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Stephanie Brundage

LEAF DESCRIPTION

Leaves resemble red oak leaves and are 4 – 12 inches in length and have 3-7 lobes; The leaves are bright green on the upper surface and have hairs on the underside giving them a greyish color; Leaves turn shades of yellow, orange, red, or purplish in the fall.

Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)


Shape: Ovate	Margin: Lobed or Serrate

Arrangement: Opposite	Form: Simple

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Alan Cressler

FLOWER DESCRIPTION

Flowers are arranged on a structure called a panicle which contains 500-1,000 individual flowers; Panical is pyramidal in shape ranging from 4 – 12 inches long and 3 – 4 inches wide; Contains two different types of individual flowers; Marginal flowers are larger and appear white or greenish white in color; Smaller flowers are white in color and turn a purpleish-pink clor as the season progresses; The small flowers are fragrant and are the ones that can be fertilized through pollination.

Flower Shape Chart (JPG)


Color: White, greenish, pinkish purple	Shape: Cross-shaped	Bloom Months: May – July

Flickr – Henryr10

BARK DESCRIPTION

Bark is light brown or orange in color. As the bark ages, it becomes exfoliating (shredding) to reveal inner bark that is darker brown. Young bark on new stems has small hairs.


Color: Fruit – Capsule	Texture: Exfoliating (shredding): appears paper-like

Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle:

All plants start life as a seed.
The seed turns into a sprout when it grows roots.
The sprout becomes a seedling as grows a stem and leaves above the ground.
After the seedling becomes an adult plant it will grow flowers.
After the flowers finish blooming, each flower turns into a seed.
When the seeds fall down to the ground, the plant life cycle starts again.
Each seed can become a plant if it has the food, water and space that it needs to grow.

General Plant Life Cycle – Dreamstime

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Ready as-is PDF

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Editable Word Doc

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Editable Word Doc

FOLLOW US

JOIN/RENEW

SHOP

QUICK LINKS

HABITAT LEARNING LAB: