Annabelle hydrangea: An American white hydrangea variety

While many hydrangea varieties are imported from other continents, there is one kind of hydrangea that is truly all-American. The Annabelle Hydrangea is a wild plant that has become a garden superstar since its discovery!

Annabelle Hydrangea is the most popular cultivar of Hydrangea arborescens, grown for their beautiful rounded white flower clusters. The original Annabelle Hydrangea was found growing wild near Anna, Ohio. This plant produces numerous stems of dainty white flowers that last for weeks on the plant. Annabelle Hydrangeas are also known for being quite low-maintenance as they grow well naturally in many North American climates.

It’s long-lasting, non-fuss, deciduous, and has lovely white blossoms; could anybody ask for more? Below you will find some additional information about Annabelle Hydrangeas and tips on how to grow them in your garden. Hopefully, knowing some of this info will help you decide whether Annabelle Hydrangeas will become permanent residents of your garden!

Annabelle hydrangea: The basics

Annabelle Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’) is the most widely grown cultivar of Smooth Hydrangea. Unlike other species with rounded mophead-type flowers, Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) is native to North America. Annabelle Hydrangea can be grown in Zones 3-9, making this a very versatile plant in terms of growing climate.

This variety was discovered near the town of Anna, Ohio from which it derived its name. It earned the “belle” part simply because of how beautiful its blossoms are. Annabelle’s blossoms are often much larger than those of its counterparts and will be on display for months and months. These aren’t short-term blooms!

“While many glamorous hydrangeas are the products of breeders’ efforts, Annabelle belies its film-star good looks with delightfully wholesome country origins. Discovered growing wild near the village of Anna in Ohio, for which the plant was named, this hydrangea is a real girl-next-door and as American as apple pie.”

Hydrangeas: Beautiful Varieties for Home and Garden Hardcover, by Naomi Slade

Annabelle Hydrangeas, despite looking flowery and delicate, are actually pretty hardy. They will usually bloom in June or July, with blooms aging to an antique sepia tone on the stem in the fall. They are elegant and stylish and will add a sense of sophistication to pretty much any garden out there. If you are determined to have a showy garden with flowers that will withstand rain or shine, then the Annabelle Hydrangea is just the flower you need. It will provide you with a brilliant display for the summer, fall, and even part of the winter if the flower heads are left standing.

This longevity is one of the biggest reasons why Annabelle hydrangeas are so popular. They can not only provide your outdoor garden with a stunning display but they can also do the same for the indoors. Because they last for so long, these hydrangeas can be used as a cut and dried flowers.

Growing and caring for Annabelle hydrangeas

Now that you are a little more familiar with what kind of plant you’ll be getting, you undoubtedly want to know what kind of care you need to give them. Thankfully, caring for Annabelle Hydrangeas is not a task that requires a whole lot of effort. They are low-maintenance flowers that will give your garden an impressive appearance but still be easy to care for. That combination is every gardener’s dream!

Here are some nurseries and garden centers that sell Annabelle Hydrangea

• Annabelle Hydrangea Plant, from Nature Hills Nursery
• Annabelle Hydrangea Plant, from Home Depot

Now let’s talk specifics about the care of Annabelle Hydrangea plants.

Soil for Annabelle hydrangea plants

Annabelle Hydrangeas grow best in well-draining soil with a near-neutral or slightly acidic pH. If your hydrangeas are constantly sitting in water, you will likely find yourself dealing with root rot. Using organic matter such as compost, peat moss, or something similar will drain extremely well and provide your hydrangeas with a good growing experience. As for planting them, they can technically be clustered together, but you should not put them so close together that they don’t have room for any sun between them. Be sure to water deeply after planting and water frequently for the first year.

Annabelle Hydrangea blossoms will stick around for the entire summer and most of the winter, but those blossoms are large enough that they will take quite a while to grow and get up to full size. If you get them planted as soon as possible, you should have full-grown blossoms by June or July at the very least. This means you’ll have flowers to appreciate for a good portion of the year.

Fertilizer for Annabelle hydrangea

As with most plants, you will need to be careful as to how much and how often you fertilize your Annabelle Hydrangeas. Too little fertilizer combined with naturally poor soil means your plants will develop paleness in their leaves and poor, slow growth.

For this reason, be careful to only fertilize Annabelle Hydrangea when needed (with a granular slow-release fertilizer) and never let the fertilizer touch the leaves or stem of the plant. Sprinkle it around the plant’s base if using a granular fertilizer.

Here are some appropriate fertilizers for Annabelle Hydrangea plants:

• Espoma Holly-Tone Organic Food For Evergreen & Flowering Shrubs (4-3-4) from Nature Hills
• Jobe’s Organic Knock-Out Rose Plant Food Fertilizer with BioZome (3-4-3) from Home Depot
• Dr. Earth Flower Girl Bud & Bloom Booster Organic Granular Fertilizer (3-9-4) from Nature Hills

Be sure to read the instructions on the specific fertilizer you choose as application amounts and frequencies vary between brands. Read more about hydrangea fertilizers.

Sunlight for Annabelle hydrangea

Annabelle Hydrangeas are adaptable in terms of sunlight requirements and can be grown in most partial shade areas through to full sun planting spots. These shrubs tend to do best in full sun in the cooler end of their growing range (Zones 3-6) while appreciating afternoon shade in the hotter areas (Zones 7-9).

If the soil is kept at approximately the same level of moisture every day, you can probably afford to keep these hydrangeas in more direct sunlight. If the soil isn’t as moist as you’d like it to be, you should probably keep it in a shadier area. This may sound overwhelming and tough to figure out, but Annabelle Hydrangeas are not fussy and definitely not hard to please. Just make sure they get enough sun and plenty of water (especially right after planting) and you won’t have much to worry about.

Watering Annabelle hydrangeas

Annabelle Hydrangeas do need quite a bit of water to stay alive. As mentioned earlier, the amount of water they need depends greatly on their sun exposure. If they are kept in shady areas, they may only need watering once a week once established. In hot, sunny spots, these plants will likely require watering every couple of days for the first several seasons as the roots become established. Watering requirements tend to decrease as these shrubs age.

Pruning Annabelle hydrangeas

Annabelle Hydrangea shrubs do not require pruning but tend to grow best with some annual maintenance. The best time to prune Annabelle Hydrangea plants is typically in early spring. You can prune in the fall, but most people would recommend waiting as long as possible because, as mentioned earlier, these shrubs will likely be sporting lovely white blooms until they are covered in snow.

If you wait until early spring, you will be able to enjoy those beautiful blooms during the off-season. Take care that you remove the old wood/stems to make way for new ones. Some of these stems will die and fall off on their own, so you’d just have to worry about clearing those away and cutting off any remaining ones.

In the spring, start by removing any branches that are dead, dying, diseased, or otherwise damaged. Take them down all the way to the base of the plant near the soil line. Then work to identify any crowded areas of the plant’s stem skeleton. Trim off any branches that are crossing other branches (especially if the branches are rubbing). Take these off right to the base of the plant too. Lastly, trim the remaining stems back by about 1/3 of the total height of the plant. So for a young Annabelle Hydrangea that is 3′ tall, trim back each stem to 2′. For a larger 6′ mature shrub, trim each stem back to 4′ tall.

Pests affecting Annabelle hydrangea

Thankfully, there isn’t a whole lot to worry about with Annabelle Hydrangeas as far as pests and diseases are concerned. Of course, you still have to worry about all the average garden pests (aphids, mites, mealybugs, etc.), but these are surprisingly easy to get rid of.

A pest problem will likely be indicated by cottony masses collecting on your plants, strange weblike patterns, holes, or brown spots on your plant’s leaves. You may also notice that the flowers aren’t blooming as they should or the stems are becoming droopy. The effects will vary depending on the climate and pest, but these are some of the most general signs you should be looking for.

You can use organic pesticides or soaps to treat your Annabelle Hydrangeas. You should spray your plants with your solution of choice on a windless day so the effects aren’t diluted. Many insects (such as aphids) tend to feed on the underside of the leaves so make sure you are spraying down there are well. Be thorough and treat your plants regularly and you will not have to worry about pests bothering your hydrangeas anymore.

Here are some effective natural pesticide options for treating pest bugs on Annabelle Hydrangeas:

• Bug Buster O Organic Garden Pesticide from Hoss Tools
• Dr. Earth Final Stop Natural Rose & Flower Insect Killer Spray from Nature Hills
• ARBER Organic Bio Insecticide Concentrate for Indoor & Outdoor Use

Be sure to follow the application instructions and frequency guidelines on the specific product you choose.

Diseases affecting Annabelle hydrangea

Annabelle Hydrangea plants are not commonly affected by plant disease, but there are a few fungal diseases that do sometimes make an appearance. The most common diseases affecting Annabelle Hydrangeas are root rot, botrytis, mildew, and mushroom root rot.

Root rot is a plant disease often caused by Phytophthora mold. Root rot tends to occur when soil is consistently quite moist and the air around the plant is humid and stagnant. One way to treat root rot is to stop watering and increase air circulation around the plant. Alternatively, transplant it to an area with better soil drainage. Commercial organic fungicides also tend to be effective in treating root rot infections in Annabelle Hydrangeas:

• Complete Disease Control Organic Biofungicide/Bactericide from Hoss Tools
• Dr. Earth Final Stop Organic Disease Control Fungicide from Nature Hills
• ARBER Organic Bio Fungicide Concentrate for Indoor & Outdoor Use

While root rot is the most common, fungal infections like Botrytis and Armillaria can also occur. Botrytis fungus appears as a grey fluffy mold on flowers and sometimes on foliage. Armillaria (mushroom root rot) is usually identified by the golden mushrooms at the base of the plant. Both diseases are rarely seen on healthy, established plants that are maintained frequently with good pruning hygiene. Be sure to prune off any dead/diseased/dying stems as soon as observed, and also remove dead foliage. Lastly, improving air circulation may help in humid climates.

Sometimes mere overwatering or underwatering is the problem and will affect the upper parts of the plant rather than the roots. You will see similar symptoms to those of root rot (wilting leaves/flowers, soggy or rotting leaves, white powdery coatings, etc.). You can try adjusting your watering schedule to control this particular problem.

Pros and cons of Annabelle hydrangea

Obviously, there are plenty of perks to having Annabelle Hydrangeas. The downsides are limited, but for those that do exist, you should probably be aware of them before you buy some. This is just so you know what you’ll be dealing with! Here are a few pros and cons of Annabelle hydrangeas that every gardener should know.

The biggest perk of having Annabelle Hydrangeas is their aforementioned durability and longevity. They can be used inside or outside and will provide a lovely addition to your decor. If you value elegance and sophistication, these are an excellent choice because Annabelle hydrangeas will add both of those things to your garden and your home.

Next, of course, is their minimal maintenance. You will not have to work hard to keep them healthy and happy which means that’s more time spent enjoying the blooms and less time spent worrying about how well they’re doing. This makes it an especially good choice for those who are beginner gardeners.

One of the only cons to having Annabelle Hydrangeas is that they are mildly poisonous. If ingested, it can cause severely uncomfortable side effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and other stomach-related issues. This is especially a problem for those who have small children and pets.

Little kids are curious creatures who learn by touching and tasting things. If you have little ones who are curious enough to taste the flowers in your garden, you may want to consider fencing off these plants or avoiding them altogether. You should also keep careful tabs on your household pets since cats and dogs are likely to experience many of the same symptoms as young children if they were to ingest an Annabelle Hydrangea.