Munchkin Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Munchkin’ · an oakleaf hydrangea with blooms that age to pink
A compact oakleaf hydrangea from the U.S. National Arboretum, with bold oak-shaped leaves that turn mahogany red in fall, upright white flower clusters in early summer that age to pink, and peeling bark for winter. It suits foundations and small gardens. It blooms on last year's wood, so prune only after flowering.
- Mature size
- 3.5 × 4.5 ft
- 1.1 × 1.4 m, tall × wide
- Hardiness
- Zones 5a–8b
- USDA
- Sun
- Full sun to full shade
- Water
- Dry to moist
- Blooms
- Jun–Jul
- Fall color Oct–Nov
Munchkin Oakleaf Hydrangea at its mature size
A mature Munchkin Oakleaf Hydrangea grows 3 to 4.5 feet tall and just as wide.
Drawn to scale beside a 5 ft 9 in person. With VeraScape, you see it at this size in your own yard.
Typical mature size, unpruned. Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden, usna.usda.gov.
Through the year
What Munchkin Oakleaf Hydrangea looks like month by month in a typical zone 6–7 garden.
Dormant · Dec–Mar
Short coarse stems with peeling cinnamon-brown bark, some dried heads.
In leaf · Apr–May, Aug–Sep
Compact mound of dark green oak-shaped leaves, no flowers.
In flower · Jun–Jul
Upright cones of white flowers turning pink above the leaves.
Fall · Oct–Nov
Leaves turned mahogany-red, flower cones dried tan-pink.
Growing Munchkin Oakleaf Hydrangea
- Grows well in
- The Northeast, the Southeast, the Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest.
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Good for
- Hedge, small space, foundation planting, specimen, shade garden, drought tolerant, pollinators, fall color, and winter interest
- Leaves
- Drops its leaves in winter
- Native to
- Southeastern United States
Spacing for a hedge
VeraScape spaces plants so their grown canopies just touch. For Munchkin Oakleaf Hydrangea, that’s about 4.5 ft apart, center to center.
Place a row in your own yard and VeraScape spaces them at their mature width, so you can see whether they’ll crowd the walk.
See Munchkin Oakleaf Hydrangea in your yard before you dig
Visualize it at its true size, alongside the rest of your design.
Other hydrangeas
Munchkin Oakleaf Hydrangea
Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea
Annabelle Hydrangea
Endless Summer HydrangeaAll drawn to the same scale.