Hm maybe! Is it normal for a young one to be so tall and floppy? I assumed it was a perennial that dies back, but oak leaf would be exciting.

If the leaf at the bottom came from the shrub, it might be an oakleaf hydrangea but pics of a green bush and of blooms would help. Light sandy straight sticks may be something else. Does snow tend to collect in this part of the beds?

I'm 99% sure that leaf on the ground is from an actual oak tree. There is a large one behind the house.

Haha--for a green bush, I'll get back to you in May or June. By then I'll probably be able to figure it out myself! I'm just impatient!

I would remove the stakes when it's warmer..unless they pull out easily now and you want to..some of the stems look dead..wait until you know what's alive before you cut anything..oakleaf hydrangeas shouldn't be pruned much (if at all) in my opinion..only dead, broken or errant branches..if you've met any neighbors you could ask them about the plants in your yard..

Notice how two of the stalks have bent over. This is because the plant is a lily (Lilium) and not a woody kind such as a hydrangea. Notice also the remains of lily inflorescences.

Embothrium, I must admit it didn't look like hydrangea to me. I've never had an oak leaf hydrangea but if it's anything like macrophylla or arborescens this looks less woody.

I have one oakleaf, and many macrophyllas, arborescens, paniculatas and climbing..to me arborescens and macrophyllas aren't woody like paniculatas..lots of complaints about flopping..pic1 shows a macrophylla and an arborescens by the driveway..pic2 if I wanted I could break off every stem on these arborescens with my bare hands right now..the ones with flowerheads behind the concrete planter..they have bent stems..

I've had all the types of hydrangea (macrophylla, aborescens, paniculata, and climbing) except oakleaf. There are two other obvious hydrangeas nearby but this didn't strike me as a hydrangea. When it's light out again I'll go examine the stems and take a cross-section photo if I can to try to settle the question.

I wasn't trying to argue..just saying to me the pics resemble hydrangeas..didn't you have bent/broken stems on your hydrangeas?..maybe my more severe winter does more damage..

I'm not trying to argue either, sorry if I came across that way! Yes, I had some bent stems but they didn't look quite this weak. Just not sure!

I'm not offended thanks..it's hard to tell right now..do lillies have exfoliating stems?

In the original set of photos, two things say lily not Hydrangea. The leaf scars are all up and down the stems like lilies, where hydrangeas would have leaf scars and buds opposite on the stems with smooth stem in between. This is particularly visible on the last photo. In the second photo, the floral remains are at the top of the plant and are clearly lily, not Hydrangea.

NHBabs..that makes sense..also makes sense that the presence of stakes seems more likely to be a lily..my neighbor has lillies and stakes them..but she must be cutting them down..there's nothing during the winter..

Especially in a spot like this, so close to the building, lilies are likely,to lean outwards towards the light, so stakes are needed.

Lalala, once you know what color they are, you might consider moving them to a spot with less directional light, at least out from under the overhang. If there is a spot with good sun where you will notice the scent, by a path, patio, or window that is often open in summer, many lilies have a nice scent, but there are a few exceptions.

The exciting conclusion to this debate can be found at Name That Plant. Thanks all!

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5076157/winter-id?n=20

LOL. I was looking at this on my phone and was saying that is one gigantic lily - then as I looked closer, it was just a support ;-)