Annabelle Hydrangea

This outstanding ornamental shrub effortlessly elevates the tone of your landscape. Annabelle Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle') makes a showy display of pristine, white, enormous mophead flowers.

Plant them near a high traffic area. You won't want to miss a moment of this plant's spectacular blooms.

Annabelle Hydrangea was discovered in 1910 and remains one of the most popular landscape plants grown, with good reason. It can be grown over a wide range of hardiness zones, is easy and carefree, and produces the most incredible flower heads of sterile florets that can be a foot across.

The flower display is really the best. Massive, white, round balls are held above the foliage and are showy from summer into winter.

Annabelle Hydrangea is a star in every landscape. Fresh new green stems will produce massive flowers by June. Enjoy the flowers in the landscape on the plant and steal some blooms as needed throughout the summer for bouquets.

This is a dependable, proven performer that delivers spectacular blooms every single year. Dark-green foliage and sturdy stems are the perfect contrast for the pristine white flowers.

Annabelle Hydrangea begins to create its stunning blooms in June and continue to be showy until it gets buried in snow. You'll be thrilled by the dazzling display of elegant flowers through most of the year.

You'll look and hard to find another low maintenance flowering shrub that grows as easily. It flourishes all across the country in just about any soil.

Use it throughout your landscape as a classy, structure plant. Order enough to complete your project today!

How to Use Annabelle Hydrangea in the Landscape

Annabelle Hydrangeas are classic ornamental structure plants that can unify your entire landscape design. Plant at least one in each garden bed to tie it all together. Pure romance!

There is no setting more perfect, trim and chic than a nicely tended—perhaps slightly curved—long row of Annabelle Hydrangeas. It's like a little black dress, or a bob haircut. It will never go out of style and you'll never grow tired of it.

Their sleek, modern look can also read as romantic and dreamy. Annabelle Hydrangea works with any style of architecture and in many garden applications.

People love the look of them planted alongside a white picket fence. Use a few planted in gorgeous patio planters. They make excellent foundation plants that are just the right size.

Be sure to include Annabelle Hydrangea in perennial or mixed shrub boarders. Try a small, informal hedge of them near the patio or front walk planted 2 - 3 feet apart. Meander an informal serpentine ribbon of them along the edge of a woodland for an amazing look.

Plant them to the south of larger evergreen trees for a fabulous display. Really, this top performer fits so many uses, you can't go wrong.

If you have a wide, open area to fill, try mass plantings of Annabelle Hydrangeas. Keep the look informal by planting them 2 - 3 feet on center in a zig-zag planting pattern. Measure from the center of one plant to the center of the next.

Or, try a formal look with massed rows planted in geometric precision. For each plant to appear as an individual, expand the planting width to 5 - 6 feet apart on center.

Shhh. . . don't tell the neighbors that this plant is actually very easy care. Or, that it offers a great value.

As the June blooms appear, they'll stay and stay. The color starts as green buds open to pure white, then turns a beautiful sage-green color before finishing to tan buff.

Here they'll dry and remain on the plant all winter long if you let them. We suggest that you leave them up for winter interest! You'll enjoy noticing how the dried blooms catch and sculpt the drifting snow.

You'll never be without beautiful blooms for cut flower arrangements. Stock up on cunning vases in a variety of shapes, as you'll want to use them throughout the house.

In fall, you can also start cutting dried flowers to bring indoors for use in seasonal dried arrangements. Punch up their impact with a light touch of coordinating, creamy white or metallic spray paint.

#ProPlantTips for Care

Unlike other, fussier Hydrangeas, you won't have to mess around with soil pH with Annabelle. It's adaptable to most soils, as long as they drain quickly. The roots won't tolerate standing water, for long. However, Annabelle can be used near the edge of Rain Gardens.

This variety has minimal pruning requirements. It blooms on new wood, so each year, you'll start over.

Get out there every year in early spring. You'll simply snip all branches down to the ground and remove them. New shoots will grow and develop each year.

We recommend pruning Annabelle Hydrangea in spring, rather that fall. That way, you get a chance to enjoy the interesting dried flower heads all winter long. You need something to look at!

Annabelle performs best with full sun exposure of 6 hours of sunlight a day to produce a glorious flower display. Sunlight also allows the growth of nice, sturdy stems that effortlessly hold the huge blooms aloft.

The plant will tolerate a partial shade position—such as the east side of a house—but not full shade. Please ensure they receive at least 4 hours of light a day where you decide to place them. Dappled shade and afternoon shade are best.

However, don't plant Annabelle in full shade positions. If they don't receive enough sunlight, they will develop thinner stems that may have trouble supporting the large flower heads. Full shade will also limit flower production.

It can take more sun than most people think, especially if you provide a nice, thick layer of mulch over the root system. Give Annabelle Hydrangea as much sun as you can by pruning nearby trees.

Provide an even amount of regular water, especially early in the season during flower development. Protect young plants with supplemental water as needed.

Use this easy test to see if your new plant needs water. Poke your finger into the nearby soil (yes, you can wear gloves). If it feels moist, no need to water that day. Check again tomorrow. If the ground is starting to get dry, give your new plant a nice long drink.

The massive, rounded, mophead flowers are actually corymbs that are comprised of many sterile florets. No need to worry about self-seeding or spreading out of bounds.

Whether this is your first yard, or your fifth—you will never regret using Annabelle Hydrangea in your yard. With enormous, pristine white blooms, lush foliage and a forgiving nature, she'll be your best friend. Order today!