Annabelle Hydrangea

Dinner-plate white blooms the size of a softball, reliably every summer, on a tough native shrub hardy all the way to Zone 4.

Annabelle is the smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle') that set the standard for big, dependable white flowers. Each rounded mophead opens lime-green, matures to a clean pure white, and can stretch up to ten inches across, carried on a fast-growing, rounded shrub that tops out around 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. The heart-shaped green foliage stays fresh all season, and because Annabelle flowers on new wood, it blooms faithfully year after year even where harsh winters cut other hydrangeas to the ground. It is at home massed along a shaded foundation, lining a walk, or anchoring a mixed border.

Why growers choose the Annabelle

• Enormous, reliable blooms. Snowball-shaped white heads up to 10 inches across appear in early to midsummer and hold for weeks.
• Blooms on new wood. Because flowers form on the current season's growth, a cold winter or a late frost will not cost you the show — a major advantage over old-wood bigleaf types.
• Cold-hardy and adaptable. Thrives across USDA Zones 4 through 9 and handles full sun to part shade, making it one of the most forgiving flowering shrubs available.
• Fast, fuss-free growth. Quickly fills its space to a tidy 3-to-5-foot mound, ideal for hedging or repeating through a planting.
• Garden-to-vase versatility. The long-stemmed heads are superb for fresh arrangements and dry beautifully for winter bouquets.

Whether you want a soft white hedge along a fence, a cooling drift in a shady corner, a backbone for a mixed perennial border, or a steady supply of cut flowers, Annabelle delivers more bloom for less effort than almost any shrub you can plant.