Photo courtesy of Bobby Dean, Membership Services Coordinator, Alabama TREASURE Forest Association.

The oak-leaf hydrangea is the official state wildflower of Alabama.

The flower blooms in April and May. Later in the summer the blossoms turn a deep rose color. The medium sized shrub has large green oak-shaped leaves. The leaves turn red in the fall and the peeling bark of the stems and branches add to its attractive appearance. This shrub is found in every section of Alabama.

The naturalist William Bartram was the first to notice this plant and he named it Hydrangea.

Sources:

Act 99-913, Acts of Alabama, June 1, 1999

Caroline R. Dean

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Updated: January 22, 2010

http://www.archvies.alabama.gov/kids_emblems/st_wflower.html