A flower with oak leaves

The oak leaf hydrangea is a native flower that grows in the southeast quadrant of the United States. It is an unusual wildflower in that it is quite large in many ways.

The clusters of white flowers can grow to 18 inches long or longer. The leaves look like the leaves of a red oak tree, except that they are much larger and can grow to at least 12 inches across the leaf. And the plant itself can grow eight feet tall and have an eight-foot spread.

The oakleaf hydrangea has several woody stems growing from its base. Since Southeast Missouri is at the northern edge of this flower's natural range, it may be difficult to find one growing in the wild here. I took this photo on June 26 in northern Arkansas.