Omacha Variegated Hydrangea serrata is a compact cultivar of hydrangea with unusual leaves. The foliage is heavily dusted gold with red stems which make this shrub an interesting specimen in a lightly shaded garden. Fall color of the leaves is a showy red/burgundy. The lacecap flowers begin white and turn pink or blue depending on soil acidity. Although this plant can be grown in sun or partial shade, it is a native of Asia and prefers cool growing conditions and will grow best in light to open shade. Plant it in a location with full morning sun and afternoon shade in fertile high organic matter soils. In warmer climates, a location protected from hot sun will keep the foliage and flowers from prematurely fading or scorching and it will flower more prolifically with consistent summer watering. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: More information on Hydrangea serrata .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Mounding; Multi-stemmed; Rounded
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Red/Burgundy; Variegated
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
New leaves are golden yellow with a thin red margin. As they mature leaves become mottled with gold mostly toward the center. Leaves are ovate, sharply tipped with a red petiole.
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Blue; Pink; White
Flower value
Good Dried; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Cross
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Lacecap blooms are pH-sensitive, starting white and then aging pink or blue depending on the soil acidity. This plant blooms a little later in the spring than other Hydrangea serrata.