Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’

Hydrangea aborescens, commonly known as just Hydrangea, is a large, bushy shrub from North America. They bear a mixture of florets; some of these are tiny and fertile, while the others are larger but sterile. The larger flowers have coloured bracts in place of petals.

 

Hydrangea aborescens ‘Annabelle’ only has sterile florets. This means that flower heads are all much larger than some other varieties; they appear as impressive white balls about 30cm across. These plants are very hardy, but sometimes late frosts can damage the buds. For this reason, it’s key to grown them against a warm wall or in a sheltered corner if your garden tends to get a bit cold. You should prune Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ in late winter or early spring but be sure to mulch and feed them afterwards. Feeding Hydrangea aborescens with a 15-30-15 formula will encourage the plant to bloom. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ is drought tolerant, but if they are in full sun then they will need regular moisture. Regular pruning helps to keep plants dense and compact, when they would naturally be quite open.

 

Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ is a popular choice for privacy hedges, but they can also be grown in large garden planters. Problems can occur for these plants in the form of aphids, leaf spot, hydrangea scale, and capsid bugs. This plant can upset pet's tummies.