This shrub was found in south-east USA and introduced into England in 1803.
A wide deciduous shrub, its height ranges from 1 m to 2 m.
The leaves are pinnate, usually five-lobed and resembling an oak-leaf ( from this the name “quercifolia”: in Latin “quercus” means oak and “folia” leaf); only another species in the genus Hydrangea, the Asiatic H. sikokiana, has pinnate leaves. The colour of the leaves, mid-green early in the year, gradually darkens and finally turns to wonderful shades of gold and crimson in autumn.
The inflorescence is a large white panicle with different features in the different cultivars.
Flowering time ranges from the end of May to August, depending on climate, exposition and cultivar.
Even in winter H.quercifolia is a shrub of great effect as it shows its bright orange flaking wood. N.B. :
• Like H. paniculata, H.quercifolia blooms later and is therefore less subject to late spring frosts.
• As it flowers only on the previous season’s wood, it is strongly recommended not to prune this shrub in winter, unless you want to lose most of the flowers; if you want to reshape an adult plant the best time for pruning is in summer ( late July) so that the shrub will have enough time to vegetate again from the cut and differentiate flower buds on the new vegetation.
• The water requirement of H.quercifolia, compared to H.macrophylla, is considerably lower: the oak-leaf hydrangeas are more adaptable to sunny expositions and require warm summers to flower better.