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Hydrangea quercifolia 'Applause'

oak-leaved hydrangea 'Applause'

A deciduous, bushy shrub, to 1.8m tall, with deeply-lobed, oak-like leaves that turn attractive shades of bronze, purple and red in the autumn. Conical flowerheads, held above the foliage, are borne from summer into autumn with white ray florets surrounding the small, greenish fertile flowers

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Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
5–10 years
Ultimate spread
1–1.5 metres
Growing conditions
Clay
Loam
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer White Green
Autumn White Bronze Red Purple
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or North–facing or East–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Hydrangeaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Potentially harmful
Skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats): Harmful if eaten. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus

Hydrangea can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, or self-clinging climbers, with flowers in clusters usually comprising both small fertile and more showy sterile flowers; often good autumn colour

Name status

Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in any moist but well-drained soil in partial shade or grow in sun if soil remains reliably moist. Improve chalky soils with organic matter to support good growth. See shrubby hydrangea cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer and hardwood cuttings in winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, capsid bug, hydrangea scale and vine weevil

Diseases

May be susceptible to a leaf spot, powdery mildews, grey moulds (Botrytis) and honey fungus (rarely)

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