Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'
Annabelle Smooth Hydrangea

Family:

Hydrangeaceae (Hydrangea Family) 35

Genus:

Hydrangea (Hydrangea) 26

Plant Type:

Shrub 467

Growth Forms:

Clump-forming 10

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 3 225

Deciduous / Evergreen:

Deciduous 815

Flower Notes:

White (Up to 1' wide corymbs of sterile white flowers occuring in June)

Foliage Notes:

Green (Dark green summer foliage); Brown (Fall foliage is generally a poor brown, green, or yellow)

Ultimate Height:

3-5 feet

Ultimate Spread:

4-6 feet

Light Requirements:

Soil Notes:

Adaptable, but not tolerant of dry soils

Diagnostic Characteristics:

Opposite, simple, ovate to elliptic leaves (3-8" long by 2-6" wide). Serrated leaves with rounded or cordate base. Shiny young branches, exfoliating older stems.

Special Characteristics:

Additional Information

The Annabelle Smooth Hydrangea is a very popular cultivar that produces large (much larger than the straight species), upright globular heads of sterile, white flowers in June. Tops usually die back in extreme Northern regions of its hardiness zone (including Zones 4 and 5). However, flowers are on new wood, and they still appear when tops are winter killed, or plants are pruned to ground. Winter killed branches need removal. Not drought tolerant. Poor, coarse form in the winter landscape. Many feel that the dried flower heads are unattractive left on the plant.