Hydrangea quercifolia GATSBY MOON

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Gatsby Moon' is a variety of Oakleaf Hydrangea recently selected in the USA for its particularly double white flowering and its beautiful autumn colours. Its pure white florets, intensely tight, assemble on conical panicles that take on a unique, almost "quilted" appearance. Over time, this flowering takes on a beautiful green hue that remains attractive almost all summer. The autumn wine-red foliage of this shrub offers a remarkable symphony of colour for the late season. This very beautiful hydrangea will find its place in a large shrubbery or in a free hedge. Like all 'oak leaves', this hydrangea is not demanding in terms of soil and climate. Discover it today!

Hydrangea quercifolia Gatsby Moon is part of the Hydrangeaceae family, like all hydrangeas. The type species, with single white flowers, is mainly native to the southwestern United States, particularly the Mississippi Valley. This plant is found growing on cliffs, in wet woods, ravines and on the banks of streams, from Georgia to Louisiana, via Florida. In the garden, it is one of the easiest hydrangeas to grow: it is hardy below -20 °C (-4 °F), tolerates a little lime in the soil as well as moderate sunlight, and copes with heat and occasionally dry soil in summer if it is deep.

This Gatsby Moon selection is a large deciduous shrub, capable of reaching 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) in all directions. It is characterised by large lobed leaves, the appearance of which can resemble oak leaves. One of the major assets of this variety is its extremely double flowering and resistance to rain. It begins in June-July, depending on the climate, developing on old wood. It consists of erect, pyramidal inflorescences, 15 to 20 cm (5.9 to 7.9 in) long. Each is composed of numerous sterile flowers with four petals. These inflorescences quickly take on a green tint and remain decorative for a long time. The young spring and summer leaves are covered with a whitish down in spring. They unfold into large dark green leaves, 12-14 cm (4.7-5.5 in) long and cut into 5 deep lobes, with roughly dentate edges. At the end of summer, they take on fantastic red shades, from Burgundy to Bordeaux-red and purple, before falling in October. The bark of this variety peels off over time, revealing shiny new cinnamon-coloured wood, which is decorative in winter.

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Gatsby Moon' appreciates slightly sunny exposures that accentuate its autumn colours: the light filtered by the foliage of trees or even shade in a hot climate. It is used in the back of a bed, as a standalone plant, in a free hedge or in a shrubbery. It can be combined with other hydrangeas, but also with Nandina, Mexican oranges, purple Berberis and Physocarpus, or even with silver candelabras that, like it, appreciate partial shade. It will be absolutely superb when paired with amaranths (Amaranthus Velvet Curtains) and hastate vervains (Verbena hastata Rosea).