I have a dappled shady spot in my yard that I think would be perfect for an Oakleaf Hydrangea. I know I would have to amend the soil to gain some acidity, but before I go to all the trouble, has anyone had luck with these in our Texas heat? My 2 favorite nurseries here locally don't carry them, so I don't know if this is a good idea or not. Appreciate any comments!
Cathie
Oakleaf Hydrangea in West Texas?
Cathie,
Last fall I spoke to a number of people who successfully grow Oakleafs in the Dallas area. They said (just as you mentioned) that if you greatly amend the soil and place them in dappled shade with good drainage they should do fine. So I planted thirteen of them. 2 'Snowflake', 2 'Amethyst' and 9 'Alice'. The 'Amethyst' died very quickly the 'Snowflakes' are doing so-so at best. But the Alice are all doing great, so far. They were also the cheapest of the bunch. Oddly enough the the Amethyst and Snowflakes were expensive and sent almost bare rooted in plastic grocery bags. They came from specialty hydrangea nurseries. My advice is to buy only container grown plants.
I have "Snow Queen" It is a beauty in a shady spot on the north side of my house.I bought it in a container. I added some compost, lava sand and maybe green sand to the hole.Good luck.