Hydrangea quercifolia Ruby Slippers

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Ruby Slipers' is a variety of Oakleaf Hydrangea recently selected in the United States for its modest growth, compact habit, beautiful autumn colours and very colourful flowering. Its large panicles of cream-white flowers quickly turn pink, then ruby-red as they fade, composing with the gleaming autumn foliage a remarkable symphony of colour for the off-season. With its compact habit, this ornamental shrub will easily find its place in a small garden or in a pot on the terrace or balcony. Like all 'oak leaves', this hydrangea is not demanding in terms of soil and climate. A must-discover!

Hydrangea quercifolia, from the Hydrangeaceae family, is mainly native to the southwestern United States, particularly the Mississippi Valley. It is found growing on cliffs, in wet woods, ravines and along riverbanks, from Georgia to Louisiana via Florida. It is a large deciduous shrub, which can reach 4 m (13 ft) in height in its natural habitat and spread by the production of shoots up to 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in) wide. It is characterised by large lobed leaves whose appearance can resemble oak leaves. It is appreciated for its superb autumn colours and its flowering in large white and erect panicles composed of small powdery fertile flowers surrounded by larger fertile florets. In the garden, it is one of the easiest hydrangeas to grow: it is hardy below -20 °C (-4 °F), tolerates a little lime in the soil, and copes with heat and occasionally dry soils in summer if they are deep.

The 'Ruby Slippers' cultivar, introduced in the USA in 2010, is a result of a cross-breeding between the 'Snow Queen' and 'Pee Wee' oakleaf hydrangea cultivars. Its habit is very rounded and dense. Its growth is rather slow for the species, and it will reach about 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) in all directions at the age of 10.

One of the major attractions of this variety is its unusually coloured flowers. They begin to develop on the old wood in June-July, depending on the climate, and consist of erect, pyramidal inflorescences, 15 to 20 cm (5.9 to 7.9 in) long. Each is composed in the centre of small rare fertile cream-white flowers with prominent stamens contrasting with large fertile flowers, in the shape of white stars. These inflorescences quickly turn pink, then ruby-red. Its young spring and summer leaves are covered with a whitish down in spring. They unfold into large leaves 12-14 cm (4.7-5.5 in) long, cut into five deep, dark green lobes with roughly dentate edges. At the end of summer, they take on fantastic red hues, from burgundy to mahogany, before falling in October. The bark of this variety peels off over time, revealing new and shiny cinnamon-coloured wood, which is decorative in winter.

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Ruby Spires' appreciates slightly sunny exposures that accentuate its autumn colours, as well as the light filtered by the foliage of trees or even shade in hot climates. It can be used in beds, isolated in a small garden or at the bend of a path, in a small free hedge or even in a pot on the terrace. It can be combined with other hydrangeas, but also with other plants that, like itself, appreciate partial shade, such as Nandina, Mexican oranges, purple Berberis, Physocarpus, or even silver candelabras. It will be absolutely superb when paired with amaranths (Amaranthus Velvet Curtains) and hastate verbenas (Verbena hastata Rosea).