ruby slippers hydrangea |Spotswood Greenery

Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery

Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea |Prides Corner Farms

Photo courtesy of Prides Corner Farms

Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery

Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea

Spotswood Greenery

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Ruby Slippers'

size #2 Pot #3 Pot

Fall shipping: arrives dormant

Leaves may be turning color or already dropped, leaving bare stems.
Plant on arrival and water well. Roots keep growing until the ground freezes.
New leaves come out in spring.

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Price

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Pairs well with

Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea

Spotswood Greenery

Ruby Slippers is the oakleaf hydrangea that changes color as the season goes. Hydrangea quercifolia 'Ruby Slippers' opens white in early summer, shifts to pink within a week or two, and deepens to a wine red that holds into fall, so a single shrub carries several shades at once. It grows 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide in part shade, hardy from Zone 5 through Zone 9, and reaches full size in three or four seasons.

The flower panicles are upright and dense, held on stems stiff enough that they do not flop when wet, which is the failing of most oakleaf hydrangeas. This one was bred at the U.S. National Arboretum specifically for compact size and sturdy stems.

The foliage is the second reason to grow it. Deeply lobed and oak-shaped, dark green through summer, turning mahogany red in fall and holding late. The bark on older stems peels in cinnamon strips, which gives it something to look at in winter after the leaves drop.

Oakleaf hydrangea is native to the Southeast and takes more sun and more drought than the bigleaf types once established, though it wants steady moisture the first year or two. It blooms on old wood, so the flower buds form the previous summer. The small fertile flowers tucked under the showy ones draw bees through the bloom season.

Size at Maturity

Height 3'- 4' Spread 3'- 5'

Growing Zone

USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9

Lowest Temperatures -20°F to -10°F

Light Requirements

Part shade - 4 to 6 hours of direct sun per day, mostly before midday

Wildlife Benefits

Supports Bees
Attracts Butterflies

Seasons of Interest

Summer
Fall

How to Plant

Give your new plant the best start possible. Click here for general planting instructions.

Grow With Confidence

We stand behind every plant we ship. Click here to view our warranty.

Easy to find what I was looking

Easy to find what I was looking for

Thank you so

Thank you so much!

Found exactly what I was looking

Found exactly what I was looking for

I ordered 2 native plants both arrived on time and with one exception- not under control of

I ordered 2 native plants both arrived on time and with one exception- not under control of vendor- as expected- I’ll check how to deal with this one plant abs and hope it’s resolved and resilient- decent value otherwise and keep it native. -
W R Leigh in NC

Great

Great service

So far

So far, healthy plant.

Received two ornamental flowering almonds

Received two ornamental flowering almonds. They were bigger than expected beautiful lush green and I was totally impressed. I wanted to get a heads up with planting them this August and get them growing so I could enjoy them in the spring. Thank you so much. Absolutely stunning.

I am so happy I found this shop!

I am so happy I found this shop! Every step of the buying experience has been smooth from the very first order. I am a repeat customer and will definitely continue to support this business!

I've received four roses from Spotswood Greenery and each won has been a big

I've received four roses from Spotswood Greenery and each won has been a big, healthy, beautiful plant. Shipping is super quick and prices are reasonable. I'm super satisfied and will be ordering many more!

Exceptional Roses

EXCEPTIONAL ROSES!

Recently, I received a #3 pot Wollerton Old Hall Rose, a #3 Alnwick Rose, and a #2 pot Sweet Mademoiselle rose from Spotswood Greenery. I could not be more pleased and grateful. All plants are in perfect condition. Each is supported by incredibly healthy roots, several Charles Atlas-like stems, and beautiful foliage. Packaging was very secure. Clearly done with care! Shipping was quite prompt. Now, pricing! I've grown roses for 40 of my 67 years. In that time, it's easy for me to say that Spotswood has exceeded every other source without question. I found three roses in stock I had wanted! The quality is champion! The prices are very good, excellent when one buys at the free shipping level! Worth every penny! Thank you, every one, on the Spotswood Greenery Team!
Brian Lowry
Scottsburg, Indiana

Great selection

Great selection, good prices and fast servuce

Great!

Great!

nice to talk to a person who answers the phone

nice to talk to a person who answers the phone and cares and is american

I just received my hypericum red fame and was

I just received my hypericum red fame and was amazed how big it was and just as pretty as my established one I have had a couple years. So happy because the last one I ordered online from another nursery came as a little stub compared to this! I will definitely use Spotswood Greenery for now on!

Wonderful

Wonderful

Quick shipping

Bought a David Austin rose; it arrived quickly however it had some damage upon arrival. Ended up pruning and defoliating a good bit to get rid of the broken cane and pest damage, but I expect it to be a beautiful bush down the road.

Lovely plants

Lovely plants, get with your shipper.

Comfortable ordering process

The information and accuracy of the description of the ordered plants was great. The ability to search for specific plants was nice. Could search for terms not pre-defined and still came up with relevant specimens.

The online ordering process went smoothly.

Wonderful nursery will buy from

Wonderful nursery will buy from again!!!

I ordered ~8 David Austin roses from here

I ordered ~8 David Austin roses from here. They were equal in quality to the ones at my local nurseries (better than some), and $10 cheaper. Established roots, full of buds that have become gorgeous blooms. Will absolutely order from Spotswood again!

Fast shipping and great

Fast shipping and great, full plants. I prefer shipping here vs David Austin directly because of how big and healthy roses arrive.

Beautiful shrub I’ve been looking for and found

Beautiful shrub I’ve been looking for and found it here very pleased

Superb source for DA roses

Superb source for DA roses. Very full and healthy plants. Very secure shipping. Most highly recommended!

Lovely

Lovely choices!

Speedy detailed and efficient

Speedy detailed and efficient.

I would love to share my experience

I would love to share my experience. My Eden’s were packed so carefully and arrived in perfect condition.Shipped quickly and are just beautiful.

This rose bush is beautiful full of blooms this is the first time I received anything like it

This rose bush is beautiful full of blooms this is the first time I received anything like it, I will definitely buy fro this nursery again ☺️

Perfectly packaged roses for shipping

Perfectly packaged roses for shipping. Arrived healthy & thriving even after a 2 day weather delay!Extremely happy with my purchase from Spotswood💜

Buy Again

All beautiful healthy plants that arrived quickly and stable.

Planting and Care Guide

Planting Tips

Plant in spring or fall in moist, well-drained soil in partial shade, spacing 4–5 feet apart. Ruby Slippers is a compact oakleaf hydrangea with exceptional qualities: white flowers that age to a deep, vivid rose-red — more intensely colored than most oakleaf hydrangeas. The large, bold, oakleaf-shaped foliage turns striking shades of burgundy in fall. Incorporate compost and water well.

Care Tips

Keep soil consistently moist. Blooms on old wood. Prune only lightly immediately after flowering to remove spent blooms, and avoid heavy pruning in fall or early spring, which removes next year's flower buds. Fertilize lightly in spring. The peeling, cinnamon-colored bark provides attractive winter interest. Ruby Slippers' compact size makes it one of the most garden-friendly oakleaf hydrangeas for smaller spaces.