Ruby Slippers Hydrangea Care Guide

Add some year-round appeal to small spaces with the Ruby Slippers Hydrangea. This outdoor plant remains attractive all season long, turning white, pale pink, and then ruby red.

Even the foliage changes in fall to a mahogany red, adding winter interest. So, what do you think? Is this plant gorgeous or not?

Yes, it is, and we will tell you later how you can get your hands on the Ruby Slippers Hydrangea.

So, stay a while longer.

Botanical Name: Hydrangea quercifolia Ruby Slippers

Other Name: Ruby Slippers Hydrangea

Native Area: Southeastern US from Georgia to Florida to Louisiana

Plant Type: Deciduous Shrub With Showy Flowers

Growth: Four to five feet tall

Fertilizer: Bloom Booster

Light Requirement: Full Sun Exposure to Partial Shade

Propagation: Root Cuttings From The Suckers

Soil Type: Loamy

Temperature: Warm, Humid Conditions

Toxicity: Toxic to Humans and Pets

Watering: Moist Soil

USDA Zone: 5-8

More About The Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea

The Ruby Slippers Hydrangea is a cultivar of the Oakleaf Hydrangea native to Southeastern North America. The US National Arboretum introduced the cultivar in 2010 to gardeners. It attracts pollinators to the garden and is a hybrid between the Snow Queen and Pee Wee.

The Oakleaf Hydrangea Ruby Slippers have a compact size best suited for residential landscaping with limited space. Furthermore, the flower buds add color interest year-round. In mid-summer, you see large conical flowers in white color.

The flower buds change to a deep rose-red hue, and it grows upright to withstand heavy rainfalls. The foliage looks like the oak tree and is deeply lobed, and the bark changes seasonally. In the fall, the leaves are red, with exfoliating bark having a bronze shade.

While the Ruby Slippers Hydrangea is heat tolerant, it is not cold tolerant, and freezing temperatures cause damage. Most gardeners in the growing zone 5-9 use these shrubs for foundation plantings. Or you can use it as an accent plant to add color to a place.

Ruby Slippers Hydrangeas Care

ruby slippers hydrangea @flickr

Hydrangea quercifolia Ruby Slippers grow best in a warm climate with much moisture. Also, plant Ruby Slippers Hydrangea in a spot protected from high winds and icy temperatures. Another added benefit is growing them in large pots, as you can move them in a protected area in winter.

Lighting Needs For Hydrangea Quercifolia Ruby Slippers

In the native region of the southern side, you can grow your Oakleaf Hydrangea under the shade of trees in warmer climates. Hence, it still needs full sun exposure for at least six hours with partial shade in the afternoon.

But in cooler climates planting your Ruby Slippers Hydrangeas in too-shady spots results in lessening the fall colors and is best grown in full sun. So, the rule is to protect them from the hot afternoon sun and the winter weather.

Well Draining Soil

In the garden or a container, the Ruby Slipper Hydrangea prefers well-drained, organically rich soil that is moist but not soggy. You can amend your clay soil using organic matter to help improve drainage. We recommend testing the soil’s pH level and adjusting it as needed with some Holly Toner if it needs more acidity.

Watering Ruby Slipper Hydrangea

Young indoor plants during the first growing season need regular watering until established. In addition, it helps to keep the soil moist as it can handle drier soil as it matures.

As the season progresses and it stands in a sheltered location in the sun to part shade, the watering needs change. We recommend watering more during dry spells and adding some summer mulch to retain moisture for the shallow roots.

An important note is to remember that the root system of the Oakleaf Hydrangea happily grows along moist woods to stream banks. During winter, provide your plant with medium moisture.

Temperature and Humidity For The Low Maintenance Plant

ruby slippers hydrangea @flickr

While hardy outside the native habitat, it needs winter protection as the flowers are vulnerable to injury when temperatures drop. It will also lead to winter-damaged stems with reduced flowering.

In growing zones 5, we recommend planting your Rubby Slipper Oakleaf Hydrangea in a protected spot shielded from ice, wind, and snow.

When to Feed Your Hydrangea Quercifolia

In amended organic matter soil, you need not fertilize your Hydrangea quercifolia often. Still, it does benefit when you give it a bloom booster in early spring. If the soil is alkaline, we recommend an acid-loving fertilizer for plants.

Pruning Ruby Slippers Hydrangea

The Oakleaf Hydrangea is a slow grower and does not need a lot of pruning. Still, you can remove dead branches. Also, prune your Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea after it flowers.

The reason is that this Hydrangea blooms last year’s growth. Hence you can risk removing the flower buds when pruned in spring before it blooms. So, hold on to the old wood for now.

Potting and Repotting Ruby Slippers

As you can grow Ruby Slippers Hydrangea in a container, you must ensure the pot is slightly larger than the root system. Also, ensure the container has enough drainage to allow excess water to drain.

Propagating Ruby Slippers Hydrangeas

With the Ruby Slippers Hydrangea, you can propagate with root cuttings from the shallow roots that send out suckers. The fantastic thing is that these suckers already have roots attached, and planting them into a pot with well-draining soil is easy.

Ensure that the soil moisture remains damp but not soggy.

The Plant Parents of The Ruby Slippers

In the Hydrangea genus, you can find different varieties of species, but today, we want to show you the parent plants of the Hydrangea quercifolia Ruby Slippers.

Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangea

The Snow Queen is a medium-sized deciduous shrub that reaches up to six feet tall. It displays showy white flowers in late spring to early summer. The color of the blooms fades to pink. The care needs are similar for most Oakleaf Hydrangea.

Pee Wee Oakleaf Hydrangea

The Pee Wee Oakleaf Hydrangeas bloom in summer and is also a shrub that thrives in partial shade to a full sun garden. It grows five feet tall with dark green foliage and small white coned panicles. The foliage changes from yellow, orange, and red to purple color.

Common Pests and Diseases

As with most Oakleaf Hydrangeas, the Ruby Slippers can be bothered by spider mites, aphids, and other insects. Furthermore, it is susceptible to leaf blight and powdery mildew.