Mother's Day + 2
This oakleaf hydrangea growing by my back porch was a Mother's Day gift from my daughters two years ago. It was growing in a gallon pot when I received it. It has flourished where I planted it and this year it has really outdone itself with it blooms. (I know it's a bit difficult to appreciate with the bright, bright sunshine in the background, but bright, bright sunshine is all we have these days.) The oakleaf hydrangea is a plant that is native to the southeastern quadrant of the United States from North Carolina west to the Mississippi River and south to Louisiana and Florida. It is described as a coarse-textured deciduous shrub, although mine actually keeps most of its leaves through winter. It can get quite large; some plants over 20 feet tall have been recorded. It thrives in dry conditions and prefers some shade. The leaves themselves are quite attractive. They are lobed like oak leaves - thus, its name - and they range from yellowish-green to dark green (like mine) on t...