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| Oakleaf hydrangea is at home along wooded borders where there is ample room to spread out. Soil should be moist and well drained. Mulch to keep roots cool. |
Oakleaf Hydrangea
"Fall is the refreshing reminder of what Mother Nature does for us," says Bob Brackman, director of Cheekwood Botanical Garden in Nashville. One of Bob's favorite shrubs this time of year is a Southeastern United States native, oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia). The plant is named for its oak-shaped leaves, which may sport shades of crimson, scarlet, and purple at the same time. If you are fond of red, the hues of 'Alice' and 'Snow Queen' are particularly rich.
Growing in all but the Tropical South, oakleaf hydrangeas work best in drifts where they receive morning sun and light afternoon shade. Space plants about 8 feet apart, and expect them to reach 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide. If you must prune, do it soon after the plant flowers. The elongated clusters of creamy white flowers are lovely, but the bold-textured, jewel toned leaves are equally satisfying reasons to welcome this plant into your garden.
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MORE SHRUBS FOR FALL COLOR
Don't cheat yourself by planting only evergreens. If you are afraid your garden will look too bare come winter, do this: Sandwich deciduous shrubs (those that offer fall color and then lose their leaves) between taller and shorter plants that keep their leaves year-round. Here are 12 to try.
beautyberry (Callicarpa sp.)--reddish-purple, pink, or orange
border forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia)--yellow, purplish, or burgundy
bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)--yellow
common sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)--yellow
fothergilla (Fothergilla sp.)--yellow, orange, and scarlet; often combined
'Henry's Garnet' Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet')--purplish-red
rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei)--red, orange, or yellow
smooth sumac (Rhus glabra)--scarlet
spiraea (Spiraea x vanhouttei)--purple
summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)--yellow to brownish
viburnum (Viburnum sp.)--orange, red, yellow, bronze, or purplish
witch hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia)--yellow, orange, and red
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"This Bush Blazes With Color in Autumn" is from the November 2005 issue of Southern Living.
