Hydrangea 'Annabelle'
Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'
As the season progresses, these snowball-shaped flowerheads keep getting bigger and bigger!
- Genus2: Hydrangea
- Species: arborescens
- Variety: 'Annabelle'
- Item Form: 2-Quart
- Zone: 4 - 9
- Bloom Start To End: Early Summer - Late Summer
- Plant Height: 4 ft - 5 ft
- Plant Width: 3 ft - 5 ft
- Bloom Size: 10 in - 12 in
- Restrictions:
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Discovered in an Anna, Illinois, garden, 'Annabelle' is perhaps the most popular old-fashioned flowering shrub grown in American gardens. Once established, it produces enormous, 12-inch, globe-shaped flowerheads of snowy white starting in early summer and increasing in size until mid- to late summer -- truly spectacular!
Growing to 4 feet high and wide, it is a splendid landscape plant that never gets out of bounds and complements every other color in the garden beautifully. It thrives in shade, but also tolerates heat and humidity. Very easy to grow once established, it is a lovely source of fresh and dried arrangements as well as a useful border, hedge, foundation, or accent planting.
H. arborescens is a native species, far more cold-hardy than most other Hydrangea species. Recently another cultivar has been added to the family: spectacular pink-flowered Invincibelle Spirit. Try them together for a breathtaking pink-and-white hedge, border, or accent planting! Zones 4-9.
| Hydrangeas can live for many years without ever needing to be pruned, but if your shrubs grow out of bounds or lose flowering vigor, then there are some essential pruning guidelines you must follow to ensure bountiful blooms the next year! Hydrangea macrophylla and H. quercifolia These generally bloom on old wood and require little pruning. Prune spent blooms immediately after flowering (midsummer), or remove only dead, damaged or unsightly wood. | |
 | Hydrangea macrophylla (Bigleaf, Mophead, or Lacecap Hydrangeas) These Hydrangeas begin blooming in early to midsummer and can continue until summer's end, so they set their bloom buds during late summer or early fall. When pruning mopheads, you have two options, and will probably end up doing a combination of both:
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| Exception: If you have a reblooming variety such as Penny Mac that flowers on new wood as well as old wood, you'll want to prune a little every year just to keep the new wood coming. | |
 | Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea) You can get away without pruning Oakleaf Hydrageas at all, but if you want to keep them well-shaped, cut dead stems back at the base in late winter or early spring. |
| Hydrangea arborescens and H. paniculata These shrubs bloom on new wood and actually produce larger blooms if cut back to the ground in late winter. | |
 | Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth Hydrangea) This is one of the easiest Hydrangeas to prune. Because it blooms only on new wood, you can just cut it back to the ground in late winter, before any new buds appear. If you experience some flopping of flowering branches, then leave a framework of old growth to help support the branches by only cutting stems back to 2 feet from the ground. |
 | Hydrangea paniculata (Pee Gee or Panicle Hydrangeas) Prune this Hydrangea in late winter to keep the plants from becoming overgrown and encourage more new growth, more flower buds, and larger blooms. You can remove dead flowers, as soon as they become unattractive and clean up the overall shape of the plant. |
| Hydrangea petiolaris | |
 | Hydrangea petiolaris (Climbing Hydrangea) Climbing Hydrangea requires little to no pruning, but if you need to trim it to keep it in bounds, you should prune it just after flowering. Cut back last year's flower shoots to 1 to 2 inches and pruning out shoots that fail to cling or have pulled away from their support. |
| Remember, Hydrangeas are shade tolerant, but they do require adequate sunlight and irrigation to bloom properly. In northern climates and coastal areas, Hydrangeas will grow beautifully in full sun, but in warmer southern areas, a location in part shade where the shrub receives full to partial morning sun with protection from harsh afternoon sun is ideal. Placed in the right location, given ample moisture, and pruned using the guidelines above, your Hydrangeas will be an abundant source of gorgeous blooms long into the future. | |
How to Adjust Hydrangea Color
Hydrangeas may produce pink, blue, or lavender blooms, depending on where it’s planted and how it’s fed. The presence of aluminum in the plant ultimately determines the color, and pH affects the uptake of aluminum. Alkaline soils, pH of 6.0 or more, are more likely to produce pink blooms, and more acidic soils, pH 4.5 to 5.5, produce blue flowers.
Pink hydrangeas can be turned blue by applying aluminum sulfate to lower the pH and add aluminum to the soil. Applying lime to raise the pH level will help blue hydrangeas turn pink. If your soil naturally produces very blue or very pink hydrangea flowers, you may need to grow your hydrangeas in containers or raised beds to achieve the desired color. If you do attempt to change the color of your blooms by adding these minerals, dilute them well, and add sparingly. It is very easy to scorch your plants by adding too much. White hydrangeas are not affected by efforts to change bloom color.Using Hydrangeas for Cut-Flower Arrangements
- Cut them just as blooms fully develop.
- Cut your flowers in the early morning, before the sun comes up to evaporate some of their moisture.
- Cutting at diagonal will allow the stem to take in the most amount of water, some people will even cut slits or fray the ends of the stems a little.
- Place your freshly cut flowers in a bucket of cool water to soak for an hour or two before arranging your final product.
- Use a commercial floral preservative to get the best results. This will feed your flowers, maintain a constant pH, and will serve as an anti-microbial to prevent premature decay. You should be able to find this at a local nursery.
- Keep in mind that many gardeners and florists complain that hydrangeas wilt faster than other cut flowers and may require a little extra planning.
- Keep it out of drafty areas and direct sunlight to prevent the flowers from drying. Finally, you can just sit back and admire your new décor or enjoy your special moment.
To download this How-To for yourself, with complete information, please follow this link. Because the file is in PDF format, you will require the Adobe Reader to be able to view it. We hope that you will enjoy this guide and refer to it for years to come.
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