Gatsby Gal^® Oakleaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia

I love the pictures of this hydrangea, but I've had a hard time getting it established - very common for Oakleaf Hydrangeas in general, but this cultivar I have now lost 4 out of 6. This issue is root rot. Here in northern SC our soils are a heavy (much more heavy than the midwest) clay soil. After amending the soil, and amending again, and again, I have gotten two to take fairly well! Not ready to give up on this cultivar yet! Still I now have to replace this cultivar yet again for the most recent one that has died. I plan on making this my last ditch effort before I go to another cultivar that does better in the southeast (there are a few). While establishment is tricky with this species, I think this cultivar is a little worse than others if you live in the south. If you aren't totally in love with the Gatsby series, I wouldn't purchase this one unless you have a true woodsy hummus soil or else a sandy soil. This species is native to the sandy soil forests in Alabama. So in breeding this down to a smaller size, I think proven winners has sacrificed some of the plant's vigor and root rot resistance. Be warned if you have a humid climate and heavy soils!