Oakleaf hydrangea

Oakleaf hydrangea is the native one, from stream banks and moist woods across the Southeast, and it looks like it belongs here. Big lobed leaves like an oak’s, white flower cones in late spring that age to pink, then bronze and burgundy leaf color in fall. It gives a bed three seasons for the price of one shrub.

In the Upstate

It is hardy to zone 5, it is native to the Southeast, and NC State lists it as drought tolerant, which is more than bigleaf hydrangea can say. It blooms on old wood, so a hard late freeze can cost some flowers, but the plant itself comes through. Clemson notes the fall color. NC State notes that it needs some sun to bloom well and that mulch in summer keeps the soil moist. Plant in fall or early spring.

In a container

It is the height and the structure, and honestly it is a bed plant that visits a pot. At 4 to 8 feet tall and up to 10 feet wide, a compact cultivar such as Clemson’s ‘Harmony’ at 3 feet is the one to try in a large container, and even that wants the ground within a few years. Water deeply when the top two inches are dry. In a pot the roots sit a zone colder, which is still well inside its range.

Care

Water in dry spells the first two summers, then it mostly looks after itself. A light spring feeding is enough. Prune only right after flowering. Cut winter-damaged stems in early spring. It is one of the easier hydrangeas, and the one thing that sets it back is a poorly drained spot where the roots stay wet.