The Beautiful Hydrangea Variety To Plant During Fall For Late Spring Blooms

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If you are looking to add subtle, yet stunning blooms to your outdoor space, consider 'Snowcicle' oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia). Known for their large panicles stretching over a foot, these lush plants display blooms of various colors, including white, cream, olive, light rosey red, and maroon. You can plant this beautiful hydrangea variety in fall for late spring blooms, which will remain in place until late summer.

One of more than a dozen varieties of oakleaf hydrangea, the 'Snowcicle' cultivar does best in hardiness zones 5 through 9. Mature hydrangeas can reach 6 feet in height and be equally as wide, and do well in either normal or loamy soil so long as it stays moist and is well-drained. When choosing the perfect spot to plant your hydrangea, look for an area that receives full sun or equal parts sun and shade. As far as timing is concerned, just as fall is the best time of year to plant spring-blooming bulbs, so too is autumn an ideal time to put your 'Snowcicle' oakleaf hydrangeas in the ground. Although they also do well when planted in late spring, by planting in the fall you ensure they will be well-established and ready to bloom once spring rolls around.

The planting process is actually quite simple. Once you've chosen a suitable location, use a trowel or small shovel like the Spear Head Spade 40-inch yellow garden spade shovel to dig a hole twice the size of the root ball. The hole should be about 6 inches deeper than the pot the plant arrives in. Once the hole is prepared, remove the plant from its pot and loosen the soil around the root. Place the plant in the hole, backfill, and water.

In addition to providing elegant blooms to accent your yard from late spring through summer, 'Snowcicle' oakleaf hydrangeas add color to your outdoor space in autumn as well. That is because oakleaf hydrangea will fill your garden will stunning fall foliage as its leaves turn to various shades of burgundy during leaf peeping season. During winter, many are captivated by the display of its exfoliating bark, which is a striking cinnamon brown in color. Combining these elements, these plants add visual appeal to your yard in all four seasons.

Although the blooms are dead by the time the leaves turn in the fall, while they are intact during spring and summer, they support and attract a variety of pollinators, such as butterflies, bees, and birds. Songbirds, meanwhile, are attracted to the plant's seeds. As a result, they are a very good addition to a pollinator garden or area meant as wildlife habitat.

Oakleaf hydrangea is a also native plant that requires relatively little maintenance. Other than occasionally watering, once the plant is established it really only requires annual fertilizing. Pruning is not necessary, other than removing dead limbs, unless you choose to shape the plant. Consider adding 1 to 2 inches of mulch during hot summers to help keep the soil moist. 'Snowcicle' hydrangea are also drought and deer resistant.