Munchkin oakleaf hydrangea and sun

11 years ago

I would like to plant a long hedge of something out in front of our house - ideally, a long blooming variety of some sort, with summer flowers would be great. It also has to look good when not in bloom as far as foliage goes - compact and somewhat lush and not leggy. We are in zone 6b - southeastern pa, and the area receives 3 to maybe 4 hours of afternoon sun (depending on how far into summer we are) with the rest of the day in dappled sun. My original thought (obsession) was to plant little lime hydrangeas but after researching a bit more, I'm not convinced that they will be receiving enough sun there to flower well.

So then I discovered the munchkin oak leaf hydrangea, a bit more compact than a normal oak leaf, and supposedly good for hedges (plus, the flowers are gorgeous!). Was very excited because I always think of oak leafs requiring less sun, but then I read that they should be in full sun? Is that correct? Does anyone here grow them?

Any suggestions on different plants for those conditions would be appreciated as well - it's a long space and I want to plant it wisely - it's about 70 feet long!!

Thanks so much for any tips :)

Featured Answer

October_Gardens

11 years ago

I'd go with Little Limes. If you plant that many Oakleafs the deer will make a salad bar out of them (including over the winter, where they will eat all of the dormant flower buds). That amount of sun is fine for paniculatas.

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Comments (9)

appletree729
Original Author
11 years ago
thanks so much! gosh - I didn't even think about the deer! I'm happy to hear that this amount of sun is probably okay for the little limes - thats what I wanted to do in the first place. fell in love with photos of limelight hedges!
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luis_pr
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I like the Limelights too but have Little Lime due to space constraints. I also have Ruby Slippers, another oakleaf compact similar to Munchkin. That much sun is probably fine for all of them. My Little Lime is close to the house and gets full but bright shade. The oakleaf is under a Chinese Pistache so, it is in a similar location: full but bright shade. Another oakleaf, Pee Wee, is in a yet more protected and shady location but it still blooms fine. No hydrangea will be safe from deer though; paniculatas have a smaller leaf and hopefully that will be less tempting but they will not be immune to grazing by a hungry deer. Any chance that you can erect a fence or barrier to help with those pesky guys?
October_Gardens
11 years ago
Yeah, there's probably no real difference between the two in deer-appeal. But paniculatas crank out 70-90% more flower heads than Oakleafs since they bloom on new wood. With Oakleafs there's no second shot. My Alice has never made it through a winter with buds because I haven't wrapped it in screens (imagine doing that to 30-40 of them!). Additionally, deer like to move around continously as they graze, so because paniculatas put out so many flowers (up to several hundred per mature shrub) that the deer really won't eat too much unless they visit the location every day for hours at a time.
ked1985
11 years ago
I have a 'Little Lime' planted in full sun from about 11 to 4. It does well, BUT by the end of the summer the leaves turn a little crispy at the edges. I also have a 'Pee Wee' oakleaf that I transplanted this year to a spot that gets afternoon sun (slightly shaded by a small tree). It gets pretty floppy on the super hot days but does well.
luis_pr
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Deer appeal, hu. LOL!!!! Funny.

ked1985, my LL does not get direct sun but bright shade. Sounds like the afternoon sun is doing a number on the leaves. First it causes wilting and then dries out the leaves. Make sure it has 3-4" of mulch and then try to water it more this year (1g of water now, maybe 1.5g in the summer?). If it keeps that behavior, consider transplanting it. An idea... maybe hand water the soil all around the trunk once a week and let the sprinkler or drip handle the other days. That is what I have to do here when the temps hit the high the 100s and 110s.
hc mcdole
11 years ago
For all season appeal go with Munchkin or Ruby Slippers. The fall coloring is superior to paniculatas and the exfoliating bark adds a little winter interest too. This small oakleaf below (Ruby Slippers if I remember right) gets sun from morning until about 2 PM and in full bloom now. It is starting its 3rd year.

You would have to go with what will grow in your region though.
ked1985 (7a)
11 years ago
Yeah I have a feeling I didn't water it enough. It was also in a container until this year, so maybe it will do better in the ground.
appletree729
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you, everyone! I'm now leaning towards the little limes again :) The point about them blooming on new wood is a big plus as far as the deer damage would be concerned. We have lots of deer in this area. Then I'll probably plant some of the munchkins in the foundation planting to get them in just because they are so pretty :) I've got lots of planting to do - thankfully this is an extended plan, over the next two years or so, so I have time to figure it out! Thanks again!