Alice Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia 'Alice'
Height: 10 feet
Spread: 10 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 5b
Other Names: Oak Leaf Hydrangea
Description:
An excellent very large garden or massing shrub featuring enormous showy flower spikes which fade from milky white to pink, interesting foliage with reliable fall color and papery bark; rather coarse in appearance, best used in groupings
Ornamental Features
Alice Hydrangea features bold fragrant conical white flowers with pink overtones at the ends of the branches from early to mid summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has dark green deciduous foliage which emerges grayish green in spring. The large fuzzy lobed leaves turn an outstanding burgundy in the fall. The peeling brick red bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.
Landscape Attributes
Alice Hydrangea is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its strikingly bold and coarse texture can be very effective in a balanced landscape composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Alice Hydrangea is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
Planting & Growing
Alice Hydrangea will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.
This shrub performs well in both full sun and full shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.
