Flower profile

Oakleaf hydrangea

Hydrangea quercifolia

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a shrub in the Hydrangeaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–June across the U.S.

★ Official state wildflower of Alabama (1999)Native in the lower 48

Oakleaf hydrangea is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–June.

8states where USDA records it

3Bloomipedia state lists include it

5,027U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi

🏅

Alabama's official state wildflower since 1999. Visit the Alabama page → ^{Code of Ala. § 1-2-11}

Quick look

Hydrangea quercifolia, commonly known as oakleaf hydrangea or oak-leaved hydrangea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States, in woodland habitats from North Carolina west to Tennessee, and south to Florida and Eastern Texas. A deciduous shrub with white showy flower heads, it is grown as a garden plant, with numerous cultivars available commercially.
From Wikipedia's article Hydrangea quercifolia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Hydrangeaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 8 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. ^NatureServe
In Alabama, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 6 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 2,155 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #9 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,008 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #94 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 352 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #76 among the 154 flowers on our Mississippi list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (257 records)

Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Alabama	Native	May–June	2,155
Georgia	Native	few records (22)	1,008
Mississippi	Native	May–June	352

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Mississippi.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: low). Poisonous parts: bark, flowers, leaves. Symptoms they list: “Nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, sweating.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsCan be a problem for cats, children, dogs and horses

NC State Extension flags it as a problem for cats, children, dogs and horses. It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. ^{NC State Extension}

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records oakleaf hydrangea in 8 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee; District of Columbia.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Coosa, Cullman, Dallas, DeKalb, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Wilcox, Winston.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Clay, Dade, Decatur, Early, Floyd, Harris, Heard, Meriwether, Murray, Polk, Randolph, Talbot, Taylor, Upson, Walker.

Mississippi counties with USDA records: Adams, Alcorn, Amite, Attala, Benton, Calhoun, Carroll, Claiborne, Clarke, Clay, Copiah, DeSoto, Forrest, Franklin, Grenada, Hinds, Holmes, Itawamba, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lafayette, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lee, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Panola, Perry, Pike, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Smith, Tallahatchie, Tishomingo, Union, Warren, Wayne, Webster, Wilkinson, Winston, Yalobusha, Yazoo.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Oakleaf hydrangea a high shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.6 to 7.5 and winter lows down to -3 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: Medium
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 4.6 to 7.5
Minimum temperature tolerated: -3 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 165
Annual precipitation range: 32 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth: 14 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Rapid
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, cuttings, seed
Commercial availability: No Known Source

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for HYQU3. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 162 counties across 8 states; the most are in Alabama (58), Mississippi (47), Georgia (15).

Other Hydrangea on Bloomipedia (5): Wild hydrangea, Kanawao, Bigleaf hydrangea, Panicle hydrangea, Mountain hydrangea.

More from the Hydrangeaceae family (9 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lewis' mock orange, Cliff fendlerbush, Sweet mock orange, Slender deutzia.

More Alabama flowers

Sweet mock orange

Philadelphus coronarius

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌷 Grown in Alabama gardens

Bigleaf hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla

🌷 Garden flower

🌷 Grown in Alabama gardens

Panicle hydrangea

Hydrangea paniculata

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌷 Grown in Alabama gardens

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HYQU3.
iNaturalist, Hydrangea quercifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Hydrangea quercifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Code of Ala. § 1-2-11: Alabama state wildflower.
Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Hydrangea quercifolia (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Dan Vickers via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.