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Hydrangea quercifolia Back Porch

Hydrangea quercifolia Back Porch
Oakleaf Hydrangea, Oak-leaved Hydrangea

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Value-for-money
A particularly floriferous oakleaf hydrangea, which produces numerous and long paniculate flowers that change from white to pink in late summer. Its large green leaves take on sumptuous autumnal colours, in shades of dark red and purplish purple. This hardy bush tolerates slightly chalky and occasionally dry soils.
Flower size
20 cm
Height at maturity
1.80 m
Spread at maturity
1.80 m
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness
Hardy down to -20.5°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil
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Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to May, September to November
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Flowering time July to October
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Description

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Back Porch' is a variety of Oakleaf Hydrangea with strong vigour, known for its particularly generous flowering and beautiful autumn colours. In summer, it is adorned with long, numerous white panicles that turn a lovely pink shade as they fade. The autumn foliage of this bush offers a remarkable symphony of red, purple, and violet tones for the late season. It will find its place in a large shrub bed or in a free hedge. Like all 'Oakleaf' hydrangeas, this hydrangea is not demanding in terms of soil and climate. A must-see!

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Back Porch' belongs to the hydrangea family, like all hydrangeas. The typical species, with single white flowers, is mainly native to the southwest United States, particularly the Mississippi Valley. This plant can be found growing on cliffs, in damp woods, ravines, and on riverbanks, from Georgia to Louisiana, passing through Florida. In the garden, it is one of the easiest hydrangeas to grow: it is hardy below -20°C (-4°F), tolerates some limestone in the soil, light sunlight, and can adapt to heat and occasionally dry soil in summer if it is deep.

This 'Back Porch' selection is a large deciduous bush, slightly suckering, reaching about 1.80m (6ft) in all directions. It is characterized by large lobed leaves, which can resemble oak leaves. One of the major advantages of this variety is its more decorative and abundant flowering compared to the typical species. It begins in June-July, depending on the climate, developing on old wood. It consists of long, slightly trailing pyramidal inflorescences, reaching about twenty centimetres. Each one is composed of tiny fertile flowers and four-petaled sterile flowers. In this variety, the sterile florets are small but very numerous. They turn pink in late summer. The young spring and summer leaves are covered with a whitish fuzz in spring. They unfold into large leaves 12-14cm (5-6in) long, divided into 5 deep lobes with roughly toothed edges, of medium green colour. In late summer, they take on fantastic dark red to purple-violet shades, before falling more or less late in autumn. The bark of this variety peels off over time, revealing new and shiny cinnamon-coloured wood, which is decorative in winter.

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Back Porch' benefits from being planted in a slightly sunny location that enhances its autumn colours. Light filtered through the canopy of trees suits it very well, especially in hot climates. It can be used in the back of a bed, as a standalone plant, in an informal hedge, or in a shrub bed. It can be associated with other hydrangeas, as well as with Nandina, Mexican Orange Blossom, Berberis thunbergii... In full sun, it pairs beautifully with amaranths (Amaranthus 'Velvet Curtains') and hastate verbenas (Verbena hastata 'Rosea').

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Hydrangeas: planting, pruning and care
Family sheet
by Alexandra 20 min.
Hydrangeas: planting, pruning and care
Read article

Plant habit

Height at maturity 1.80 m
Spread at maturity 1.80 m
Habit irregular, bushy
Growth rate normal

Flowering

Flower colour white
Flowering time July to October
Inflorescence Cluster
Flower size 20 cm
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators
Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour medium green
Product reference • 20343

Planting and care

This Hydrangea quercifolia 'Back Porch' requires a sunny exposure to enhance autumn colours, but it dreads excessively hot exposures: morning sun or the shade of a large tree during the hottest hours are preferable, especially in our very sunny and hot regions. It prefers a humus-bearing, neutral to acidic soil, but tolerates limestone presence in the soil better than other hydrangeas. Plant it in a hole filled with a mix of potting soil and loam. During planting, place it in deeply worked soil. A good base fertilizer (horn or dehydrated blood) will promote the establishment of your plant and nourish it without the risk of burning. Mulch the base in summer to limit watering.

Once well established, this Hydrangea does not require any watering in summer, except in our southern regions where it will appreciate weekly watering, or every two weeks depending on the weather. At the end of summer, we advise you not to cut the dry inflorescences, as they will protect the terminal shoots of the branches in winter. Cut all the dry flowers at the end of February or at the first sunny days. Its spring growth is quite late.

Planting period

Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to May, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Woodland edge
Type of use Border, Back of border, Free-standing, Hedge
Hardiness Hardy down to -20.5°C (USDA zone 6b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Neutral, Any
Soil type Clayey (heavy), Clayey-chalky (heavy and alkaline), Silty-loamy (rich and light)
Soil moisture Moist soil, Garden soil, deep in nature,

Care

Pruning instructions At the end of summer, we advise you not to cut the dry inflorescences that will protect the terminal shoots of the branches in winter. You can cut all the dry flowers at the end of February or on the first sunny days.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time February to March
Soil moisture Moist soil
Disease resistance Very good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground

Planting & care advice

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