Oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen'
Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen' · Hydrangeaceae
Large, dense cones of white florets held upright, not drooping, which turn rose-pink; the oak-shaped leaves go deep red-bronze in autumn.
- Size
- 6 ft tall, 6½ ft wide
- Zones
- 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Late June to late August
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
A bed built around oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen'
The planner designed this bed around oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' when this page was made: a 22 × 10 ft (6.7 × 3.0 m) English border in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' × 1, white
- 2 Stemless gentian × 29, blue
- 3 Mouse-ear coreopsis 'Nana' × 22, yellow
- 4 White mugwort × 3, cream
- 5 Joe Pye weed 'Little Joe' × 4, pink
- 6 Canadian burnet × 3, white
- 7 Lady's mantle × 3, green
- 8 Virginia bluebells × 16, blue
- 9 Siberian iris 'Caesar's Brother' × 3, purple
- 10 Woodland phlox × 11, lavender
- 11 Green-and-gold × 15, yellow
- 12 Wild geranium 'Espresso' × 8, pink
- 13 Spring snowflake × 12, white
- 14 Snowdrop × 12, white
- 15 Surprise lily × 3, pink
Why this plant
- The bed's only structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down, and it is the only one here.
Why here
- Anchors a back corner. At 6 ft it is the tallest plant here, and the tallest close the ends of the bed, where they stand in front of nothing.
- A step in the back row. Next to Joe Pye weed 'Little Joe' (4 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- In flower for 10 weeks. From late June to late August.
- Fills a gap. For two of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 26 of the 29 groups (90%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. White mugwort and oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' anchor the back corners of the bed: the tallest plants on the plan stand there. The most in flower at one time is 6 kinds, in early May.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 5 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' goes in a border
At 6 ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is very tall (5 to 6½ ft).
Its job: anchor. A shrub that gives the bed permanent structure. Planted singly, as soon as the front edge is laid; everything else is arranged around it.
The standard against which oakleaf hydrangeas are judged: stiffer stems, bigger heads and more sun tolerance than the species. Four seasons of interest, with peeling winter bark.
- A four-season shrub
- Autumn colour
- Woodland edges
What to plant with oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Christmas fern: its dark green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; medium leaves against its bold ones; low enough (20 in) to stand in front of it.
- Hosta: its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; spires rising out of its mound; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it.
- Japanese forest grass: its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; fine leaves against its bold ones; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen'
Does oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' need sun or shade?
Oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' grow in?
USDA zones 5 to 9. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late June to late August. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 5 | Late June to late August |
|---|---|
| Zone 6 | Late June to late August |
| Zone 7 | Mid June to mid August |
| Zone 8 | Mid June to mid August |
| Zone 9 | Early June to early August |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' be planted?
6 ft (180 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 6½ ft (200 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 6 ft (180 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' plants do I need?
Usually one. At 6 ft (180 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 6 ft apart: two plants for a 10 ft run.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. Leaves and buds can cause vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten.
Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Do deer eat oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen'?
They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.
What flowers after oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen'?
Oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' is over by late August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy': from mid August to mid October, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
What does oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' look like in winter?
Oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.
Is oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' good for bees and butterflies?
Oakleaf hydrangea 'Snow Queen' is visited by pollinators, butterflies and songbirds.
It is native to the United States (this is a named variety of the native plant).
More Hydrangea
- Bigleaf hydrangea Hydrangea macrophylla
- Bigleaf hydrangea 'Endless Summer' Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer' (Endless Summer)
- Bigleaf hydrangea 'Nikko Blue' Hydrangea macrophylla 'Nikko Blue'
- Lacecap hydrangea 'Twist-n-Shout' Hydrangea macrophylla 'PIIHM-I' (Twist-n-Shout)
- Mountain hydrangea Hydrangea serrata
- Mountain hydrangea 'Bluebird' Hydrangea serrata 'Bluebird'
- Mountain hydrangea 'Tuff Stuff' Hydrangea serrata 'MAK20' (Tuff Stuff)
- Oakleaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia
- Oakleaf hydrangea 'Alice' Hydrangea quercifolia 'Alice'
- Oakleaf hydrangea 'Munchkin' Hydrangea quercifolia 'Munchkin'
- Oakleaf hydrangea 'Pee Wee' Hydrangea quercifolia 'Pee Wee'
- Oakleaf hydrangea 'Ruby Slippers' Hydrangea quercifolia 'Ruby Slippers'
- Panicle hydrangea 'Bobo' Hydrangea paniculata 'Bobo'
- Panicle hydrangea 'Fire Light' Hydrangea paniculata 'SMHPFL' (Fire Light)
- Panicle hydrangea 'Limelight' Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'
- Panicle hydrangea 'Little Lime' Hydrangea paniculata 'Jane' (Little Lime)
- Panicle hydrangea 'Pinky Winky' Hydrangea paniculata 'DVP PINKY' (Pinky Winky)
- Panicle hydrangea 'Quick Fire' Hydrangea paniculata 'Quick Fire'
- Panicle hydrangea 'Tardiva' Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva'
- Panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' Hydrangea paniculata 'Vanilla Strawberry'
- PeeGee hydrangea Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora'
- Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle' Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'
- Smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' Hydrangea arborescens 'Incrediball'
- Smooth hydrangea 'Invincibelle Spirit II' Hydrangea arborescens 'NCHA2' (Invincibelle Spirit II)
In these guides
- Plants for dry shade
- Garden plants toxic to cats
- Garden plants toxic to dogs
- Native plants for shade
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants that feed garden birds
- Plants with purple and burgundy leaves
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 6 ft (180 cm) tall, 6½ ft (200 cm) wide
- Plant
- 6 ft (180 cm) apart
- Height class
- Very tall (5 to 6½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- Late June to late August; dense clusters; white, pink
- Leaves
- Bold texture, deciduous; dark green, red
- Shape
- Rounded, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Hydrangeaceae
- Comes from
- Southeastern USA
- Attracts
- Pollinators, butterflies, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Drought
Checked against NC State Extension and ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.