Very nice looking shrub. Where did you get it "in a pint size cup"?

TY! I got it from this place - www.kingwoodcenter.org They have their own greenhouses and most of what they sell is from their gardens there in 1 gallon size containers. But they had a table of things in what I call a very small pint size cup with the Proven Winners logo's on them. I bought for $3 each the Sike's Dwarf, Red Ruby Butterfly Bush & Blue Chips Butterfly Bush. All three have done great and the even had Incrediball & Invincibelle. I think they got some kind of free promos from PW. I have bought theses small pint cups labeled PW from my local nursery before also. I got a Lime Light, 2 Little Lambs, Quickfire & 2 Starlights for $1 each in Fall. Amazing how fast they all grew and doesn't seem much different than starting from a 1 gallon.

Very nice plant...and great recovery!

Do you question whether its Sike's dwarf due to the size for less than 2 years growth?

Hee hee hee! Reminds me of my "lacecap Nikko Blue" that I got from Lowes many years ago, whaas. I never returned it and it is doing well, lacecaps and all.

Quercifolia's are known to grow fast either way. Maybe this one's reaching it's mature height quickly since it's growing in the right conditions.

Is that Russian Sage on the left? Good companion plants - keeps the deer away. Should make for a good show come July!

People have the best luck growing things that haven't become rootbound - where quart pots may be a little less likely to be than 1gal's, because they are moved out the door in their seedling stage. Even though you can get very large and healthy plants in 2gal's out there for $12-16 at the big boxes, they can be very rootbound and have trouble staying hydrated or growing any larger in the next few years.

Yes it is Russian Sage. I have 3 clumps of it around the yard. Love the foliage, smell, hardiness and how long they bloom for. Great, cheap, and easy to find perennial. Luckily early in my gardening career I knew never to put a tree or shrub in the ground root bound. Perennials I have been more relaxed on being rootbound. Especially with daylilies, they seem not to care much and can be horribly rootbound. I have a neighbor who put a nice size Crabapple root bound in the ground. It struggled for a few years and eventually started to dieback/decline. When he dug it up the root ball looked freshly pulled out of a pot still. He got to learn the hard way. Makes a lot of sense why small containers do well. I think quart was the word I was looking for...lol...I know enough about many things just enough to be dangerous...lol.

It did cross my mind as I was typing before maybe this could be a regular Oakleaf. I sure hope not, I have no room for a monster Oakfleaf and is the only one I have in my yard. Although the two BB's I purchased with it were exactly what they were supposed to be. "So fingers crossed"

The first Season the supposed Sike's Dwarf got a little sun burned and didnt do much. Even though I made it a little tent for it to get thru summer. 2nd year it looked very healthy and tripled in size showing me a single bloom. This year it just exploded even with our goofy weather! Guess time will tell and maybe a friend or family member might get a nice Oakleaf someday sooner than later. This spot receives full sun from noon to almost sunset. I know many people advise more shade for Oakleafs, but at a local garden they had them in a similar light conditions. They do great but are huge oakleafs. My yard is mostly full sun and shadier spots are reserved for Macs/Bigleafs...lol...I often ignore tags and go off similar plants in my area in the ground, how they are doing in a particular situation.

Oakleafs were an acquired taste for me. For years they had them at my fathers place of work and they wouldnt bloom. The way they did the landscape it made me think they were just letting some Oak seedlings grow and forgot to pull them. The were very weak growing/scraggly looking things getting only AM sun. I think whatever strain they picked was a bad one or they really hated their location. After seeing them full and healthy in bloom at public gardens they grew on me. In my area they are far and few between. I dont think there is a single one in my sisters, parents or my neighborhood. If this one turns out to be a big Oakleaf it will be replaced with another dwarf style one. I really enjoy them now and want one in my landscape!

I envy those that can grow Oakleaf hydrangea AND have them bloom. I rarely see them and when I do, I sometimes call it out loud...look an oakleaf hydrangea!

I have an Alice that has flower buds on it and I'm pretty stoked. I'm digging these 6b winters! Just added a Little Honey as well.

One other protected location is either awaiting another Oakleaf cultivar or a rhodie.

Congrats on the Little Honey!! They are expensive and hard to come by in my area. My local Nursery sold out the 1st day they offered them for sale. Thats what I wanted for this spot, but got tired of looking at the hole in my garden. Not sure if the Little Honey could handle the sun like this one does.

Sikes Dwarf in time will get some size to it - more laterally than vertically. My two are about 8 feet across and 5 feet tall and I give them a prune job every early summer to keep them sized for their spots.
Regarding Little Honey - it needs some afternoon shade or it will burn - my experience anyways.
Marshall

Yeah mine is in full sun and is burning a bit...although it was just planted a month ago. I can't believe how yellow it is.

Marshall, your Sikes must be very happy as that is at the very high end for that plant. Nursery around here as a 10 year old and it can't be more than 2'x4'.

Bought both plants from a reputable nursery southwest of Atlanta GA -can't recall the name - that at that time specialized in hydrangeas - probably 15 years ago. But we all know how plants get mislabeled. Both are growing in mostly shade on the northeast side of the house and in rather poor soil.
Marshall

Maybe it was Wilkerson Mills? They own hydrangea.com. Just had a 40% off sale the other day but only in person. Im almost glad I dont live there or I could have done some real damage!

I think the "even" spacing of the blooms (1-2ft apart) accounts for a lot of the attractiveness of oakleafs. They make great hedges, border specimens, or centerpiece of circular gardens.

Wilkerson Mills it was - thanks
Marshall