Meanings
plural oakleaf hydrangeas
- A type of deciduous shrub native to the southeastern United States, often cultivated as an ornamental plant, of species Hydrangea quercifolia.
There were callicarpas full of pale lavender berries, which would turn purple in the fall; viburnums and shrub dogwoods; and lacy elderberries juxtaposed against dense evergreens or the large, floppy leaves of an oakleaf hydrangea.
2007 August 30, Anne Raver, “Vistas and Close-Ups, Staged by a Filmmaker”, in New York Times
Origin
- Latinfolia
- Latinquercus
- taxonomic nameHydrangea quercifolia
- Englishoakleaf hydrangea
Partial calque of taxonomic name Hydrangea quercifolia. The specific epithet quercifolia comes from Latin quercus (“oak”) + Latin folia (“leaf”), referring to the leaves' similarity in shape to those of oak trees, which belong to the unrelated genus Quercus.
More words from taxonomic name, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish tammihortensia
- tammihortensiaHydrangea quercifolia
French hortensia à feuilles de chêne
- hortensia à feuilles de chêneHydrangea quercifolia
German Eichenblättrige Hortensie, Eichen-Hortensie
- Eichenblättrige HortensieHydrangea quercifolia
- Eichen-HortensieHydrangea quercifolia
Polish hortensja dębolistna
- hortensja dębolistnaHydrangea quercifolia
Russian гортензия дуболистная
- гортензия дуболистная (gortenzija dubolistnaja)Hydrangea quercifolia
Swedish flikhortensia
- flikhortensiaHydrangea quercifolia
Turkish meşe yapraklı ortanca
- meşe yapraklı ortancaHydrangea quercifolia
Cite this entry
oakleaf hydrangea. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oakleaf%20hydrangea
“oakleaf hydrangea.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oakleaf%20hydrangea. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “oakleaf hydrangea,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oakleaf%20hydrangea.
Source: oakleaf hydrangea on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.