Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_30.gif)
Saturday - January 08, 2005
From: Canyon Lake, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Soils, Shrubs
Title: Possibility of growing oak-leaf hydrangea in Comal County, TX
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
In the last issue of the magazine, there was an item about the oak leaf hydrangea which stated the plant's habitat is east of the Mississippi River. Can it be grown in Comal County? Any special needs?ANSWER:
The oak-leaf hydrangea will perhaps grow in Comal County, but I doubt that it will thrive.
To Find out its growing conditions, you can read about the oak-leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) in the Native Plants Database on the Wildflower Center web page. At the top of the information page about the oak-leaf hydrangea is a menu bar listing several choices: Taxonomy, Benefits, Bloom, Growing Conditions, etc. If you choose Growing Conditions, you can see various conditions for its growth including the moisture and soil pH preferred by the plant. Oak-leaf hydrangea likes a moist soil and a pH of about 6.7-7.2. The pH of most of the soils in Comal County are in the 7.4-8.4 range. There are locations in Comal County where soils have lower pH values, however. You can learn the soil pH for your particular location by determining its soil type from the maps in the Comal and Hays County Soil Survey produced by the USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office. The public library in New Braunfels is likely to have a copy or you can order one free of charge from the NRCS office in Temple, Texas (254-742-9800). The soil pH and the soil moisture requirement could be the limiting factor for growing it successfully in Comal County.
You can also read about the oak-leaf hydrangea in the USDA Plants Database.
From the Image Gallery
More Shrubs Questions
Need help identifying shrub with large thorns in Tennessee.
March 10, 2009 - A shrub?with very large thorns. Main stock of plant woody
with a gray and white splotchy bark at base. Branches are
green and shiney and have very large heavy thorns spaced
several inches apart on...
view the full question and answer
Hardy shrub for Canton, MI
May 06, 2009 - I have an 8' x 8' area between my front walk and driveway. I am interested in filling up the space (especially in height) with a shrub or tree. This area gets a lot of wind in the cold MI winter,...
view the full question and answer
Colorful shrubs for Kansas
June 02, 2009 - I would like to plant some bushes or shrubs on the front side of our house which faces east. I would like them to grow 5' tall and provide beautiful color or blooms. What would be best for my locat...
view the full question and answer
Freeze-back of Hamelia patens in winter in Texas
October 03, 2008 - Will the hamelia patens freeze back in the winter ?
view the full question and answer
Evergreen for privacy screen in Northern California
October 19, 2012 - Hello, My neighbor just logged their property and we need a very quick growing evergreen shrub/tree (for privacy of ugly cabin) that grows to at least 10' -15' tall. We live in northern Cal. about ...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |