Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub
Height at Maturity: 3-4′
Width at Maturity: 3-5′
Suggested Spacing: 3 to 4 feet apart for solid hedge; 8 feet or more apart for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Mounding
Flower Color: White fading to Ruby Red
Flower Size: Large -up to 9″ inches long
Flowering Period: Late Spring Through Summer
Flower Type: Single in large, long clusters
Fragrant Flowers: No
Foliage Color: Green shades
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: NA
Berry Color: NA
Sun Needs: Part Shade (morning sun with afternoon shade or all day filtered sun)
Water Needs: Average, low when established
Soil Type: Clay (amended), Loam, Sand (amended), Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist
Soil pH: 5.5 – 7.5 (Acid to Slightly Alkaline)
Maintenance / Care: Very Low
Attracts: Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought (when established in part shade), Heat, Humidity, Insect
Description
Ruby Slippers provides the same four-season appeal and lavish flower production as its larger growing Oakleaf Hydrangea cousins but in less than half the space. LOADS of large, elongated flower clusters open to white in late spring or early summer and change to a dazzling ruby red as the season progresses. But the color show doesn’t stop with the flowers. The bold, oak-shaped green leaves turn a magnificent mahogany red color in fall. The dried flowerheads and the peeling rich brown color bark provides interest in the garden throughout the winter months.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing in a mound to only 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, Ruby Slippers Hydrangea is an excellent selection for smaller garden spaces where larger oakleaf hydrangeas won’t fit. Ruby Slippers is ideal for use as an accent or specimen, in groupings or mass plantings, or as a low natural hedge in landscape and flowering shrub borders or home foundation plantings. Its smaller size makes it perfect for use in pots, planters and other containers of 14 inches or more in rim diameter. Right at home in the partially sunny woodland border or cottage and cut flower gardens. Also a nice addition to white color themed gardens and tropical-look gardens.
Suggested Spacing: 3 to 4 feet apart for solid hedge; 8 feet or more apart for space between plants
How To Measure Total Square Feet Of A Planting Area
How Many Plants Needed To Cover A Planting Area?
Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Cold Hardiness Zone 5a, where this Hydrangea variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know that it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and place back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.
Growing Preferences
Ruby Slippers Hydrangea is very easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained, soil with average fertility and full sun to part shade in northern zones where it will grow and shade to part shade (morning sun with afternoon shade or filtered sun) in southern zones. It prefers a soil rich in organic matter. For best flowering, we suggest 6 hours of direct sun light per day. As with so many other ornamental plants, a constantly soggy or wet soil is problematic. Highly resistant to pests and diseases.
Note: Ruby Slippers is a Hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf) species that produces its flowers from buds that formed on “old wood” (during the previous year). Oakleaf hydrangeas typically require little to no pruning. They are best left alone. That said they can be pruned to remove a stray branch or to reduce size.
For proper pruning time and techniques on various types of Hydrangea see: How To Prune Various Types Of Hydrangea
Helpful Articles
Click on a link below to get helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Oakleaf Hydrangeas.
How To Plant Hydrangeas In The Ground & Pots
How To Prune Various Types Of Hydrangea
How To Fertilize And Water Hydrangeas
Plant Long & Prosper!
Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff
Questions? Contact Us
The plant arrived packed to withstand a bomb. It was packed exceptionally well. Not a leaf was broken. I set in the shade and watered it. The next day it lost a few leaves, Gradually all the leaves have turned yellow and red and drooped. The stems are turgid so I gather this is shipping shock. I got this to revamp an old bed for our 40th anniversary. I’m optimistic it will bounce back.—————————————————————-I sure hope it recovers, be careful about overwatering. Please keep us posted. Thanks so much for your review. Let us know if there’s anything we can help you with. 🙂 – Beth | WBG
Outstanding delivery. Plant ample size for 3 gal container. Plant healthy and packaged perfectly and protected. My new, favorite online plant business.——————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy your purchase for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Exactly what I was looking for. Arrived in perfect condition and the choice of pot size meant I was getting the plant size I wanted. Anything that says “Always Free Shipping” is an added bonus (even if I pay for it in the cost of the plant). I will purchase plants/shrubs at Wilson Bros for years to come.———————————————————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Plants arrived on time and in good condition. Hey, have been planted and look happy in their new home location.——————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I planted my hydrangea & it’s doing great. Thank you for the advice. Have a great day!—————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I ordered two Ruby Slippers and received them extremely well packaged and moist. The box was ripped open on the side and one of the plants slightly damaged (fedex) This is not Wilson Bro fault. I planted both, in my Zone 8b yard, under my pine trees to receive dappled sun all day. I’m so excited since this is my 1st Oakleak Hydrangea. I waited to review until it began to bloom in mid May. It is absolutely gorgeous! I will always get my plants from Wilson Bros quality, packaging & customer service are top notch!———————————————–Wow! Thanks for the photo! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I have now ordered from Wilson Brothers multiple times, purchasing around two dozen plants. As an experienced gardener who has bought from many online sources over the past 20 or so years, I can honestly say this is one of, if not THE, best.
The plants are large, healthy and well cared for. The packing is the best I’ve experienced. I have not had a single plant arrive with soil missing, with dry soil or with any significant damage. They have all flourished after planting.
You simply cannot go wrong ordering from them. I fully recommend them!—————————————————–Wow! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
The plants are large, healthy and well cared for. The packing is the best I’ve experienced. I have not had a single plant arrive with soil missing, with dry soil or with any significant damage. They have all flourished after planting.
You simply cannot go wrong ordering from them. I fully recommend them!—————————————————–Wow! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
5 stars out of 5 but it deserves 10 stars!! Wilson Bros Gardens goes beyond and above!! The plants are super healthy, packaged extremely well! Definitely great quality!! The customer service is exceptional!!—————————————————-We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the kind words and awesome review! Beth | WBG 🙂
Just a note to say that the 3 Ruby Slipper hydrangeas were received today in good condition. I hope to be planting in the next couple of days in a place that will promote growth and development and they will be their happy place.
Thanks for exceeding my expectations in this sales transaction.———————————————–Wow! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Thanks for exceeding my expectations in this sales transaction.———————————————–Wow! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I had some budget money left in my Wilson order so I ordered Ruby Slippers, a dwarf Hydrangea but with oak-shaped leaves. Who could resist a plant called Rudy Slippers. This is my third Hydrangea from Wilson Brothers and “Wow” was I glad I ordered this little guy. The plant is smaller to fit in just the space I have reserved by the herb garden. But what I like most is the strong oak leaves that cover the bush, large and unique leaves that alone are interesting. I planted the draft hydrangea in early October when the leave were green out of the box. Unexpected: the leaves are turning all shades of lime green, orange and red, just like a tree. I am assured next year I will see blooms, long, pink to red cones on the dark green oak background. Can not wait.———————————————-We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the kind words and great review! Beth | WBG 🙂
I ordered two oakleaf hydrangea from Wilson Brothers. I have never purchased from them before but was very pleased with how the plants were packed, speed of delivery and in the healthy plants I received. A very good experience with Wilson Brother’s plants.—————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I have ordered plants online from several vendors in the past, and I would rate my experience with Wilson Bros as FIRST RATE. The prices are very reasonable, especially considering they are packaging larger, developed plants and shipping them free of charge. My Ruby Slippers hydrangea (3 gal) arrived in fine shape 6 weeks ago, and is doing very well in its partly shady spot. I had a question about my plant, and reached out via e-mail to the staff horticulturist who makes herself available for any concerns, and was very satisfied with the response. I would definitely purchase plants from Wilson Bros in the future.———————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
My hydrangeas were large, came carefully wrapped and looked very healthy.————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
The plant arrived nicely-packed. It had an incredible amount of foliage, and looks very healthy. I’m looking forward to seeing its growth next season.———————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Plants received. Gorgeous!————————————-We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂
I received my first plant it was quite dead. It looked like shipping was careless with it. Wilson Bros sent me a replacement plant and it’s a very healthy plan. It has large healthy leaf’s and looks great. I expect this to be a great addition to my yard along with all my other plants I bought from this compony. Thanks for the replacement you all.——————————–So sorry about the first one, some of those delivery guys are careless. Thanks for the photo, it’s beautiful!! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
1) Best-packaged hydrangea we have ever received.
2) Best deep green foliage on purchased hydrangea.
3) Planted in-between two Sun-King Aralia bushes, immediately enjoying the contrast.
4) Even though this shrub is planted in afternoon-only sunlight, it is growing well and has not dropped a single leaf.
Kudos to all at Wilson Bros for a job well done!——————————————————–Yay! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
2) Best deep green foliage on purchased hydrangea.
3) Planted in-between two Sun-King Aralia bushes, immediately enjoying the contrast.
4) Even though this shrub is planted in afternoon-only sunlight, it is growing well and has not dropped a single leaf.
Kudos to all at Wilson Bros for a job well done!——————————————————–Yay! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Nice.—————————————-We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂
I’ve only had this bush a few weeks and it is gorgeous! It has beautiful leaves and I’m looking forward to the flowers. It is an addition to my foundation plants. I think you’d really enjoy this impressive shrub.——————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
This is my 2nd order from Wilson Brothers and we are so pleased with the plants. They arrived happy and healthy. They are starting to get blooms already and I cannot wait to see what they look like. If the color is what I think it is, I will be ordering more!—————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I try to buy plants and shrubs locally in order to support local businesses, but am often unable to find what I want. Wilson Brothers provides prompt, reliable service, sending healthy plant stock packaged to travel successfully. Have been so happy with everything purchased here.———————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review and the kind words! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Ruby Slippers was large, healthy and packaged well ( no soil spilled in the box ). Time will tell on the beauty of the shrub but I’m sure about the quality of Wilson Bros.————————————————-Thanks for the kind words! We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂
My wife has been talking about a plant at our church that she had been watching a d she wanted one in our yard. I took pictures a d asked Brooks & Brent Wilson about the plant. They were very familiar with the plant and informed me that it was an Oak Leaf Hydrangea. I ended up buying a white and a Ruby Slippers. It’s not quite Spring yet but we are waiting for them to awaken. As always the service at Wilson Bros was outstanding!——————————————-Thanks for the kind words! We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂
Plants arrived in good shape, and looking forward to spring flowers.——————————-We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂
My “Ruby Slippers” arrived in excellent condition and look awesome in their new location. Can’t wait til next season to see the blooms change colors. They should complement my grey house and red front door nicely! There’s no place like home!————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Good size plant, great condition. Genius packing–so good it didn’t matter that FedEx toppled the box end-over-end out of their van, despite clear markings on the box. 5 stars for Wilson Bros.———————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
The hydrangeas arrived on time. They were very healthy and my girlfriend was very surprised. She said they were beautiful and they are doing good. Thank you for my both of days happy.———————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope yall enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Sent this to my mother as a gift. I was nervous to order a plant through the mail, but it came very carefully packaged and in great shape. She loved it! Thank you.——————————–We are so glad you and your mother are pleased and we hope she enjoy’s it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
These little beauties arrived in great shape They are growing well and look great in my garden! Thank you for such great plants!——————–Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG 🙂
Hello,
All plants we purchased from you would be a 5 star. The arrives beautifully packaged and have found a home in our yard.
Thank you.——————————————-Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG
All plants we purchased from you would be a 5 star. The arrives beautifully packaged and have found a home in our yard.
Thank you.——————————————-Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG
Dear Wilson Brothers,
Thank you for the excellent care and packaging on the shrubs I ordered recently. They arrived healthy and well hydrated. I will order again!
Best regards!————————————Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG
Thank you for the excellent care and packaging on the shrubs I ordered recently. They arrived healthy and well hydrated. I will order again!
Best regards!————————————Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG
The packaging was superb. The 3 gal hydrangea looked small but was in perfect health. It has grown 8″ in 6 weeks and has five lovely blooms. It was planted 2 days after arriving and watered daily for 2 weeks. It’s a lovely maintenance-free southern plant.——————————————-Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG
Received two very healthy, mature hydrangeas about a month ago. They are doing great. My favorite online nursery for landscape plants. They never disappoint. I referred my daughter to Wilson Bros., and she too had a great experience. I have also purchased Winterberry and Viburnum from them, with the same experience. Terrific packaging and quick shipping.————————————Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG
I bought a total of three of these lovely plants. It took my boyfriend almost two months to dig out the shrubs we had in the garden to make a place for these Hydrangeas. He took too long. Two of the plants are doing well, but the third is wavering. The plants are gorgeous, but we ordered and planted them rather late. Two of the plants are doing great, but the third one is struggling.————————————-Hi Joyce, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Ruby Slippers Dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Hopefully the one that is not well will perk up…keep us posted!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
I love these plants. I could not find them locally so I looked online. So glad I found Wilson Brothers. They arrived healthy and with their blooms intact. I will be ordering again. ———- WBG Reply: We’re glad you found us too, and it was a pleasure to serve you. Glad you got to see the blooms! Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service! – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens























Reviews
There are no reviews yet.