Close-up of a large football-shaped white Gatsby Gal Oakleaf Hydrangea bloom.
Gatsby Gal Oakleaf Hydrangea with big football-shaped white flowers.
Emerging growth on Gatsby Gal® Oakleaf Hydrangea with deep red hues on older foliage.
A row of Gatsby Gal Oakleaf Hydrangea next to a house.
Close-up of a large football-shaped white Gatsby Gal Oakleaf Hydrangea bloom.
Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs logo
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Close-up of a large football-shaped white Gatsby Gal Oakleaf Hydrangea bloom.
Gatsby Gal Oakleaf Hydrangea with big football-shaped white flowers.
Emerging growth on Gatsby Gal® Oakleaf Hydrangea with deep red hues on older foliage.
A row of Gatsby Gal Oakleaf Hydrangea next to a house.
Close-up of a large football-shaped white Gatsby Gal Oakleaf Hydrangea bloom.
Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs logo
All media depicts mature plants.

Gatsby Gal® Oakleaf Hydrangea

Shrub

  • Landscape friendly size! Smaller than other oakleaf hydrangeas.
  • Stunning fall interest! Red color and unique peeling bark.
  • Big fragrant summer flowers!
  • Zones 5-9, sun/part sun, 6' tall x 6' wide at maturity.
  • ZONE
  • EXPOSURE
  • HEIGHT

More info on plant sizes

Size: One Quart
$34.00
Sale: $34.00 Each
Total: $34.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee

Description

Gatsby Gal® oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) fits anywhere! Compared to other oakleaf types, which get quite large, it reaches just 6’ tall and wide, making this beautiful North American native easy to fit in your home’s landscape. This type of hydrangea is covered with big, football-shaped white flowers in early summer, and their lacecap arrangement and honey scent attracts pollinators by the score. Come autumn, the foliage turns a sophisticated deep red-burgundy that looks simply amazing in the landscape. And after the show’s over in winter, the leaves drop to reveal a strong framework of cinnamon-colored peeling bark. Versatile, shade tolerant, and heat tolerant, oakleaf hydrangeas are an outstanding choice for many garden applications. The Gatsby series from Proven Winners is one of our all-time favorites for reliable beauty all year-round.

Details

Botanical name: Hydrangea quercifolia 'Brenhill'
Patent #: USPP 25,106
Common name: Oakleaf hydrangea
Zone: 5-9
Sun exposure: Sun (6+ hours sun) in cool areas; part-sun (4-6 hours sun) in warm climates.
Height x width: 5-6' tall and wide
Flower color: White
Foliage color: Green, turning deep red-burgundy in autumn
Season of Interest: Summer-fall
Bloom time: Summer, fall
Features: Proven Winners, native, heat tolerant, fall cool, best sellers, best for beginners
Uses: Flower gardens, landscaping, specimen, flowering hedge, pollinator gardens, native plant gardens.
 

How to Grow

Soil: Like other hydrangeas, oakleafs do best in well-drained soil with average moisture. They can take some dryness once established, but they do not tolerate wet conditions. Adaptable in terms of soil pH.
Light: Plants can take full sun (6+ hrs/day) in cooler areas, but afternoon shade is recommended in warm climates. Overall, oakleaf hydrangeas have the best performance in shade compared to other types of hydrangeas, but flowering and fall color are best in at least some sun.
Water: Average. Oakleaf hydrangeas do not tolerate overwatering or poor drainage.
Space: min. 6' apart
Fertilizing: If desired, fertilize in early spring, once the ground has thawed, with a granular rose fertilizer.
Winterizing: Oakleaf hydrangeas are very hardy and easily withstand harsh winters, so need no special care. A good 2-3" layer of mulch helps protect the shallow roots. Do not cut back or prune oakleaf hydrangeas (see below for more info).
Maintenance & Pruning: Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood; that means they have their flowers buds for the following season all through winter, so they cannot be cut back without removing flower buds. It is best to avoid pruning or trimming them altogether, though you may selectively remove branches to develop a nice shape and silhouette if desired.
 
A wide variety of colorful hydrangeas

Your Questions on Caring for Hydrangeas, Answered

Learn how to grow and care for hydrangeas like a pro! Discover different types of hydrangeas, when it's best to prune hydrangeas, how to change colored blooms, why they may be wilting, and everything else you need to know.

Grow with confidence

Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:

bush distance

Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:

bush distance zigzag

Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.

Plant Spacing Calculator

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  • 5 stars: 13 (65%)
  • 4 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 3 stars: 2 (10%)
  • 2 stars: 3 (15%)
  • 1 star: 2 (10%)
J
J.w.

This little beauty makes me so happy

D
D.R. (Texas)
Nice plants

Plants arrived in good condition and have doubled in size since planting them

J
J.H.

Plant arrived with black spotted leaves. One was broken. I have potted them with hopes they will make it. I had planned on planting them in the ground but they seemed too stressed.

Hello! We’re sorry that you received plants that are not up to our standards. We try our best to provide excellent plants, but some factors, like shipping and handling, are outside our control. That’s why we have a 60-day guarantee on all of our orders. Please email us your order number and pictures of your plants to start the claims process. We look forward to helping!

T
T.G. (North Carolina)
Gatsby gal hydrangea

They were beautifully wrapped for shipment and received still in excellent shape the soil was still moist.

R
R.S.

So far so good! Can't wait til they get bigger and see some blooms.

D
D.E.T. (Alabama)
Gatsby Gal Oakleaf Hydrangeas - Beautiful!

I ordered 6 Gatsby Gal Oakleaf Hydrangeas and am so pleased!! They arrived quickly and were really well packaged. They are very healthy, in plastic pots with great soil and lots of green leaves! I can’t wait to get them into the ground. Thank you Great Gardem Plants! I will definitely order from you again.

P
P.M. (Louisiana)
Oakleaf hydrangeas

I ordered my plants three times, groups of three. I received each order in very good condition, packaged efficiently without injury to any plant. I could not ask for any more.

D
D.L.F.

Plants were small and several died within a week or two because they were not thriving/ very healthy upon arrival.

Hello Donna! We appreciate your feedback, and would love to help in any way we can. Please email pictures of the plants, making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we have a guarantee on all our plants. Our fall guarantee covers plants received after September 1 until May 2024! If you received your plants within that time frame, we would happily apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!

S
S.J.M. (Kentucky)
Beautiful Gal

Arrived in great condition. It’s planted in new ground, superb growth adjustment.
Looks very healthy. Hoping winter is not too trying. Looking forward to enjoyment.
Want to sneak in another praise of my dwarf roses ordered earlier. They have outdone themselves. Receiving lots of compliments all the plants I have received.
My son-in-law said; “ You ordered these from a catalog!”

B
B.M. (California)
Bad review

It was a small sprig. Could hard be called a plant.

I'm sorry you are not satisfied with your plants!

We do note that all of our plants are young on each product page and on our plant sizes page (found here). The size and maturity of the plants varies widely depending on the time of the year you purchased and if they were recently trimmed. The important thing when it comes to purchasing plants, whether online or in a garden center, is that they have a full, robust root system, and that's what we prioritize in our greenhouses.

The more roots a plant has, the more energy it can put into growing once it is planted in your garden. We do keep our plants trimmed to encourage strong root development!

Rest assure you have 60 day warranty on all of your plants.

J
J.L. (North Carolina)

Anticipating a thriving plant very soon!

J
J.K. (Texas)
Great plants, Great Service

My plants came in a timely manner, well packaged, bigger than I expected.
However, the top of one of the plants was broken. Upon notification of this, the plant was immediately replaced. They almost doubled in size within a week of planting and have continued to grow well and starting to bloom. I have tried various other plants in the location I planted these, very shady. I am thrilled with their progress. I will certainly consider ordering again from Great Garden Plants. Joyce

Hi Joyce, thank you so much for taking the time to leave us feedback! We're so glad to hear that your experience with our customer service team was a great one. Happy Gardening!

T
T.T. (Georgia)
I'm Hysterical about Hydrangea

I was torn between planting Azalea and Hydrangea in my newly prepared flowed bed. I'm glad I chose Hydrangea because of it's longer bloom time.
My Oakleaf Hydrangea arrived in excellent condition. The roots were white and healthy and the top growth was in great condition. They are aggressive little buggers growing at a much fast rate than I would have imagined but due to the exceptionally cool and rainy seasonal weather we are experiencing in GA Zone 8b I'm not surprised. I can't wait for spring when I hope to see flower buds forming.

I am definitely satisfied with this purchase.

J
J.H. (Tennessee)

When it came it was very small and the main branch was broken did all the pre instructions and planted waiting to see if there is any recovery. If not first and last time buying plants on line.

R
R.W. (North Carolina)
Healthy plants but order incorrect.

I ordered 2 Gatsby Gal hydrangeas. With the first shipment I got 2 healthy plants— a Gatsby Moon and one not labeled. I sent an email and got a prompt reply that I should keep those plants and 2 Gatsby Gals would be shipped. In the next shipment I got 2 Gatsby Moon. I was so frustrated I just gave up.

T
T.C. (Texas)
It died. I was so disappointed.

I don’t know if the plant was sick or I did something wrong. The other plant that I ordered is beautiful. It was a oak leaf hydrangea.

Hello Tammy! We're sorry to hear about your plant/ If you're plants arrived to you dead/ in unplantable conditon or died within 30 days of your receiving it, please reach out to our team by emailing [email protected]. We offer a 30 day guarantee on all our plants as we want you to receive happy and healthy plants! We look forward to hearing from you!

B
B.G.M. (Alabama)

Would like to find plants I could grow in Winter,also ground cover fast growing.

K
K.P. (Idaho)
Dead

All plants died...which is a little upsetting!

I
I.K.
Oakleaf Hydrangea

I planted three plants as soon as I had received one in shady area (with some sun), one in full sun and one in partial shade. Followed planting/mulching instructions.
I watered them every day for several weeks when we had dry spell. Right now plants seem to be healthy.
All plants seem to be doing good.
I will resume watering if we have more than three hot and dry days in a row.

P
P.S. (Arkansas)
Oak leaf Hydrangeas

My oak leaf hydrangeas arrived in perfect condition. It appeared all four had been packed with care. They were so happy! They seem to be doing fine since planted. We have had some wacky weather ( snow in April and lots and lots of rain) but they have help strong and I can’t wait to see what they look like at the end of summer!

We're happy to hear your new oakleaf hydrangeas are doing so well, Payne! Be sure to take some pictures of them to share with us as they start to establish in your garden. Let us know if you have any questions in the future, happy gardening!

A
A.H.

Can I plant in a container

Great Garden Plants

You can plant Gatsby Gal® Oakleaf Hydrangea in a container, transplanting to a larger size container as the plant grows, for a few years. Given the mature size of Gatsby Gal® Oakleaf Hydrangea is 6 feet tall and wide, you may want to eventually plant it in the ground to ensure it has the space it needs to thrive.

K
K.G.

Do the blooms on this variety fade to pink?

Great Garden Plants

Hello! The flowers on Gatsby Gal® Oakleaf Hydrangea will stay white while the foliage will turn a deep red-burgundy in autumn.

C
C.

I live in the North East and was wondering when is best time to plant hydrangeas?

Great Garden Plants

Hello! You can probably get away with planting the hydrangeas now in the summer. The trick is to provide plenty of water at the time of planting and almost daily for the next few weeks.

J
J.

Plant in spring or fall ?

Great Garden Plants

You can plant hydrangeas in the Spring or Fall.
The rule of thumb for fall planting is to get the plants in the ground 6 weeks before the first HARD frost in your area
The rule of thumb when planting in the spring is to make sure the threat of frost is gone in your area.

R
R.G.

How long does it take to grow from planting size to 4/6’

Great Garden Plants

It's hard to say for certain, since so many factors - like weather, soil type, watering, fertilizing, and not least of all, the type of plant you purchased - all come into play. Perhaps you're familiar with the old saying about plants: first year sleep, second year creep, third year leap. This applies to plants in the garden center as well as plants you purchase online. They generally spend their first year growing roots in their new home, the second year they have more energy to put into growth, and the third year, they are growing and flowering vigorously.