Photo of Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' flower by Karl Gercens III

Photo by Karl Gercens III

Used with permission, all rights reserved

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Buy Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

Also Known As

  • Smooth Hydrangea

Plant type

shrub

size

  • H: 3'-4'
  • W: 3'-5'

planting zones

  • 4a-9b

3 year old bagged root ball | $47.95

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Fewer than 10 at Hydrangeas Plus

1 year old bagged root ball | $14.95

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2 year old bagged root ball | $25.95

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2 inch wide, 4-6 inch deep tube | $19.95

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Fewer than 19 at Forestfarm

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Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' plant details

Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' is a fast-growing broadleaf deciduous shrub with green foliage. In summer white flowers emerge. Features fuzzy texture. Grows well with sun - mostly shade and even moisture - regular water. Does well in average, rich and well-drained soil.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

Plant type: shrub
Plant family: hydrangeaceae
Foliage: deciduous green
Mature size: 3 FT - 5 FT - wide, 3 FT - 4 FT - tall
Flowers: white blooms in summer
Uses: border plant, cottage garden, cutting garden, fall color, woodland garden

GROWING CONDITIONS for Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

USDA Zones: 4a - 9b
Sun exposure: sun - mostly shade
Watering frequency: even moisture - regular
Soil needs: average, rich and well-drained

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Nursery contributed plant descriptions

An exquisite cultivar featuring blooms much larger than the species; sterile, white flower clusters appear in huge, rounded heads up to a foot across! Flowers appear in June, blooming for up to two months and sometimes repeat bloom in the fall. Featuring dark green, serrate leaves on a 3-5' rounded, deciduous shrub. 'Annabelle' is a delightful naturally occurring cultivar which was discovered growing near Anna, Illinois. This is a wonderful shrub for naturalizing in your woodland garden! PSh/M
Annabelle, or Smooth Snowball Bush Hydrangea, is one of the Hydrangea arborescens species of Hydrangea which blooms on new wood and takes more sun than typical Macrophylla Hydrangea species. 'Annabelle' is a popular variety because of its large blooms and their deep white snowball-like appearance. Because they bloom on new wood, they can be pruned in winter and are still strong bloomers even in climates with very cold winters where Macrophylla types might not bloom reliably
This fun large flowered hydrangea can be grown in different ways. It can be grown as a shrub up to 6' tall. The way we grow it as a perennial. We plant it and let the plant grow a year. In early spring, we cut the plant to 6”. We will get huge white flowers. The plant will bloom in the current season growth, so you can get a real show- stopper each spring.
Large pure white flowrs 6-8" across
Steeped in old-fashioned feminine appeal, 'Annabelle' luxuriates as a dense dramatic specimen next to Deutzia 'Nikko' and Phlomis 'Amazone'.
Featuring big heads of sterile white florets that are great for drying, this old favorite is very popular here at the nursery so much so that we did not have enough left over to list the last few years. We hope to have a couple of wonderful new arborescens clones to offer in the next few years thanks to the generosity of E.B. Jenkins.
Annabelle has extremely large white flowers (12" across). The flowers are stiffer and bloom earlier and longer than typical for this species. Grows 3-5? in ten years. Awards: Award of Merit & Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. Georgia Gold Medal winner. Recommended by: Garden Clubs of America, Ohio Plant Selection Committee, & the United States National Arboretum.

By: Fantastic Plants

Green and off-white fluffy large rounded blooms make this beautiful plant a real show off. The flowers will perform from May till the first hard frost making this one of the best of the Hydrangea Arborescens family. Its history includes parentage that were introduced from Colonial North America into England from a plant collection in Virginia. Native Americans used the roots and leaves medicinally and many mixtures are still available today. The blooms dry well adding to the long enjoyment of this fine plant.
A superior selection with larger flowers and better plant habit than the species. Flowers start out green and turn white. Good for drying. To zone 3.

By: Hoot Owl Hollow Nursery

MASSIVE flowery pom-poms up to 10" across make this the showiest Hydrangea in town. Our very dear & talented friend Marion Brenner has encouraged us to grow this poised, proper Hydrangea as it's known for its reliability &?drought tolerance.?Suitable for full sun plantings along the coast & up north, it will return every year with vigor & more flowers. Its monster masses of creamy white blooms, are so HUGE, they can weigh down the whole stem when it rains, but this is easily mediated by staking, planting in drifts so that the plants can support one another, or by refraining from pruning to the ground every Winter so the stems can build up some strength. Blooms come on new wood, so if you're going to prune, do so in early Spring - leaving the spent flowers alone through the Winter adds interest! Ultimate size is 4-6' high & wide. Rich soil is best! Claire Woods - Propagator

By: Annie's Annuals & Perennials

Enormous white balls of bloom

Gardening facts about Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' plant

How to Grow Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

  • Sun Exposure

    • sun - mostly shade
  • Water Needs

    • even moisture - regular
  • Soil Needs

    • average
    • well-drained
    • rich

Features

  • Foliage Color

    • green
  • Flower Color

    • white
  • Flower Season

    • summer
  • Foliage Season

    • deciduous
  • Texture

    • fuzzy
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