Oak Leaf Hydrangea

I really like the foliage of my oak leaf hydrangea. I have three of these shrubs growing in my landscape bed in back. They will hide my neighbor's fence as they grow (and provide a nice backdrop to my perennials). Oak leaf hydrangeas can grow 6-8 feet tall by about 4-6 feet wide. The location is somewhat protected because there is a large pin oak in my backyard that lends itself to providing shade and protection to my garden area below.

Even though this plant is often grown for its oak-leafed shaped foliage, when it gets flowers it is an extra special treat. I snapped this picture of one of its blooms. (It is about a foot long!) Bloom time is important when pruning flowering shrubs. This hydrangea blooms on new wood, so I remove last year's flowers in the early spring before it leafs out. (That way I can enjoy them over the winter!)

I highly recommend this shrub for your garden or landscape bed if you have the space. It is a favorite of mine.