Twenty years ago I grew Oakleaf Hydrangea in my Illinois garden. I loved it then and still do! Now I'm in Austin and I have a 'Snow Queen' bought in January 2010. It's done well on a slight slope under the canopy of a pecan tree where it has good drainage and afternoon shade and compost. .

Maybe you will find this helpful: Oakleaf hydrangeas in Central TX. Also, there is at least one very active TX resident on the Hydrangeas forum if you care to post there.

Thank you Annie! Under the canopy of a pecan tree is exactly where I want to plant it. It's on only a slight slope, but the soil, I believe, is well drained since underneath the yard is porous limestone, plus it's been improved from years of application of composted oak leaves.

I'm thinking of placing it in front of the Brazilian white orchid tree which has not recovered well from the 2 day hard freeze in Jan. '16. This years freeze set it back even more so I don't know it it will ever return to it's former glory.

I know it's a gamble, but that's what we gardeners do with just about everything we plant ... right?

Has anybody else taken a chance on planting Oakleaf hydrangea? Jolana bought one at Rainbow Gardens here in San Antonio a couple of years ago, but I haven't heard back how it's done for her.

The limestone may be a limiting factor. ALL hydrangeas prefer acidic soil conditions.

I grow many different kinds of hydrangeas in N. TX. Oak leaf are the easiest for me. Part sun, even moisture and especially well drained soil. On a slope is perfect! Ruby Slippers stays smaller then most and has gorgeous fall color. IMO the heat is not as important as moisture and drainage.

Gardening=Gambling for sure. I hope your Bauhinia forficata bounces back... the photos prove that it was glorious. A friend gave me a Brazilian orchid tree seedling in 2007. It's still alive and makes a few flowers but up here it always dies back to the ground in winter and has to regrow. It's never been a tree, more of a spindly seasonal shrub.

I have been searching for a picture of my OLH. Found it. It is a Finnes. Probably going into its 5th spring.

Very pretty June.

Junegreen, thank you for the photo. Your plant is gorgeous!

I just called Rainbow Gardens here in San Antonio and they don't have any in yet. I didn't ask what variety they carry. I'll be checking with Milbergers also.

Believe Neil Sperry is right about amending the soil to help them get established when planting in clay. They're one of his favorite shade plants for north Texas.

We had a couple getting some morning sun under a fruitless mulberry that were beautiful for several years, then simply failed to return after one especially wet winter. There are much older examples in our neighborhood, so suspect better siting for drainage and more pampering when planted would have made a difference.

This small 'Little Honey' is still holding its red leaves in a raised bed north of the fence where it only gets some morning sun in the late spring and early summer. It doesn't hold its golden leaf color the entire season in this low light, but is otherwise happy.... or rather, the fraction of the plant left after our holiday dog visitors is happy. :(

You may want to check with Barton Springs Nursery in Austin. I have seen it there.

Omar

Seamommy has some lovely Oak Leaved Hydranges just north of Ft Worth. I think they are in a northern exposure, next to her house and in amended sugar sand.

Question about Oak Leaved Hydranges, do they freeze to the ground?

They shouldn't in any Texas climate!! They can be damaged by cold but only in the lower USDA zones. Generally, stems will remain fully intact but latent flowers buds will be damaged.

Thank you, that's good info!

I found a few on ebay for comparison and notice different types and colors. Do you know which one likes more dapple shade?

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=Oak+Leaved+Hydranges&_sacat=0 

Because of its gold foliage, Little Honey is best sited in a fair amount of shade. Too much sun will burn/scorch the leaves.

That's a pretty one! Thanks!!

Only other consideration on amount of shade with 'Little Honey' is that it needs some light to retain its distinctive golden leaf color. Still pretty in heavy shade, just greener leaves. Third photo in this article shows the variation: Oakleaf Hydrangea 'Little Honey'.

Somebody jested 'Little Honey' seemed a good choice for alkaline Texas soils because you'd never notice the chlorosis. ;)

I grew mine on the East side of my house when I lived in Central Austin. It had a tree to the east of it but got some morning sun and then a shade and then a tiny bit of sun right at noon before the sun went behind the house. The soil was amended dirt and it was watered. It was just getting good sized when I moved.IT needed extra irrigation. I was thinking of putting one in a big pot that I have.

I have one in a pot under my gazebo. Last time I looked it was sprouting new leaves & waking up.

Roselle, I have one that just barely hung on last year. I noticed the other day it is leafing out at the ground. I am surprised that kid didn't weed eat it.

Some friends brough it to me from Louisiana or ME About 4 years ago. It has survived on rain only.it is on a slope though.

Thanks Kathy. I'm still considering getting one.

I Don't either of us will see mine big enough to take cuttings.

I planted two "Ruby Slippers" Oak Leaf Hydrangeas last year direct in the ground. They got about a foot tall and colored nicely in the fall. They appear to have come through the winter freeze just fine, as they are both budding out. I can't wait to see how they take off this year, now that they have some established roots. :)

Took a picture of one of mine today. Its leaves have come back and they are both setting their first bloom. I just set them out last year BTW and they came through our awful freezes this winter just fine. This one is finally setting some new branches close to the ground.

I planted a Ruby Slippers this fall, too.

Wow -- so young, but with big leaves and already has buds. Thank you for the photo! I actually had one in my basket the other day, but put it back ... :-( Still thinking about it ...

After your picture, I went out to see if mine has a bud, but alas it does not.

Mine has leaves & is probably rootbound & starving. Ill try to get out & repot it today. Still trying to figure out where i sat my blue ginger cuttings down lol

Shell, if it's starving bring it over here and I'll feed it! ;-) Just kidding ... still trying to figure out where I could plant one.

Looking for your ginger cuttings reminds me of losing a five gal. bucket full of amaryllis bulbs. I was doing some major ( well major for me) redesigning in the garden and set them aside with a little compost on top to keep them moist until replanting and then forgot about them. Never did find them, I guess they composted beyond recognition in the bucket ... :-(

Oh well ... I hope I'm not the only one to have lost track perfectly good plants.

Was surprised to find a bit of coffee grounds seems to make our potted OLHs ('Ruby Slippers') very happy. 'Little Honey' might be much more marcescent than our other cultivars in pots and past NOIDs in the ground. Held onto it's dark red leaves until the new yellows were ready to emerge this spring - would be nice if this continues once larger. It also seems to be rebounding well from the heavy "trim" inflicted by the squirrel chasers.

I've been saving coffee grounds to put on all my plants this year at our new cabin. Will put some on my Ruby Slippers, too. thanks for the tip, Bostedo.

Yes i have to make my rounds to get coffee grounds. I took the winter off. Found the ginger cuttings but they may be too far gone. I will order more...sigh lol. Ragna the oakleaf may do better in your yard since you have shade lol. I just had trees planted this month so hopefully there will be shade here too lol

Yay! I finally have an Oakleaf hydrangea! shellshok(9) gifted me with a plant when she graciously came over to deliver two varieties of yard long green bean seeds. Was I surprised? You bet I was! The variety is "Snow Queen".

(Yes, we maintained 'social distancing' while we chatted about plants for two plus hours.)

Now am finally done with agonizing on where to plant it. I have a open, but mostly shaded raised bed area in front of the old pigeon loft so am leaning in that direction. Will amend the soil with lots of good stuff. I think it will get just enough filtered sun to help it bloom.

(I'm) happy gardening! :-)

it loves acidic soil so that will help it too. I just really ignore mine & it seems to like it's spot on the side of my house where it gets roof runoff when rain graces my yard.

Thank you Shell. I have some acid fertilizer and will incorporate it into the soil being prepared for Ms. Snow Queen!

The tradescantia you shared with me is called White Velvet.

Mine grew well in alkaline clay humous. I son't think that it was really alkaline just a bit. I have been thinking of putting one in a big 35 gallon pot.

Ours are/were not bothered much by our 7.7 pH clay. Seems other factors like drainage and amendments have made more differences in their thriving in our Blackland Prairie soil. The raised bed sounds like a great spot.

While hydrangeas in general are better in acid soils, according to author Scott Ogden they will grow in alkaline soil as long as it is well amended with compost and the bed is shaded. Our limey clays are mineral rich, but it takes humus to unlock that richness.

Oakleaf hydrangea has a greater tolerance to limey soils than other species and hybrids. In Central Texas it is combined summer heat and humidity that causes failure even in many heat-tolerant plants.

Here is mine

Is that Mexican hydrangea?

yes it does look like Clerodendrum bungei that goes by a bunch of common name like cashmere bouquet and Mexican hydrangea

two weeks ago I was shopping at trader joe's on Bee caves road, there is the westlake champion gym right next door and I went around the corner of the gym and saw several oakleaf hydrangea flowering in the condo yard right next to gym. I even stopped the car to take a look to make sure, they looked very healthy with clusters of white flowers. .they were in a shady area.

I made a comment with photo on this post a few years ago and now in May 2021 my oakleaf hydrangea is still doing well under the pecan. It actually seemed to find the TX Freeze invigorating - quite a contrast to the Loquat's reactions (at back right). I prune it to keep it about 7-ft tall.

I love your Oak Leaf Hydrangea Annie!! Now I need one...LOLOL

Beware of that Mexican one I posted above. It's easy to grow and spread. My friend who gave me my first plant warned me. Her's even jumped the sidewalk. I planted it in a bed that I'm happy for it to spread.

About 3 weeks ago, I noticed multiple Oak Leaf Hydrangea plants of good size growing under trees at the Domain in Austin...

Alas, our yard service managed to whack mine off shortly after I posted my picture above. I'm in Temple where the soil is pretty alkaline, but it seemed to be happy in the coffee ground amended soil...... until that fateful day when it was beheaded. It never grew back. I may try one again one day, however. I love hydrangeas of any type.