Choose Ruby Slippers® Oakleaf Hydrangea if you want bold flower color and red fall foliage in a smaller footprint. The tradeoff: it is a specimen shrub, not a privacy screen or formal hedge.
Buy This If
You want oakleaf texture.
You value fall foliage.
You prefer a compact oakleaf.
Skip This If
You need blue flowers.
You want a narrow shrub.
You need a screen.
PGNE Report Card
Category
Grade
Why
Landscape Impact
A-
The flowers age from white to red and the foliage carries the plant after bloom.
Growth Rate
B
It fills in steadily, but it is not a fast cover-up plant.
Maintenance
B+
It needs little shaping if placed with enough room from the start.
Deer Resistance
C
Hydrangeas aren't deer-resistant, but they aren't a deer favorite either. Deer may nibble tender new growth and flower buds, so protect plants where deer pressure is heavy.
Small Space Fit
B+
It is compact for an oakleaf hydrangea, but still needs side room.
Screening Value
C
It adds body to a bed, but it is too low and open for real screening.
Our Experience
At PGNE, we'd typically recommend this for a foundation corner, mixed shrub bed, or woodland edge where the foliage can be appreciated after the flowers fade.
Plant Facts
Mature Height
3.5 ft
Mature Width
4.5 ft
Hardiness Zones
5a-9b
Spacing
4.5 ft
Sun
Part Sun to Shade
Moisture
Dry to average
Growth Habit
Rounded, mounding, compact
Customers Usually Ask
Will the flowers stay white?
No, they open white and age into red tones.
Is this the same as a blue hydrangea?
No, this is an oakleaf hydrangea, grown more for texture, flower aging, and fall color.
Should I prune it hard each spring?
No, avoid hard spring pruning because oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on older wood.
Why buy hydrangeas and shrubs in the fall
Roots grow into November in warm soil
Far less watering than a summer planting
Fuller growth and stronger bloom next summer
Locally grown for New England conditions
Every plant in our Fall Sale is grown or hardened off right here in New Hampshire, so it's already acclimated to New England winters before it ever leaves our nursery.
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Growzone Finder
It helps us recommend plants that are best for your local climate, based on your growing zone. Also, because we ship plants based on when they are best for your local climate, it allows us to give you a more accurate estimate of when your order will ship.
Anthony scavo
Great job. Very fast, efficient, clean work. Would recommend to everyone
Emerald Green Arborvitae
Anonymous
Came on time, planted the trees exactly where I wanted. Cleaned up after the work was done.
Installation Service ($30)
Josh Wagner
The guys showed up on time, did a nice install and cleaned up after themselves.
