On the evening before Mothers’ Day, I was forced to pick up a few items at the big blue retail store. Yep. Saturday night at Wally World. Lucky me. As I sat in my car, summoning up my strength for the task ahead, I witnessed blue and pink orbs floating from the store’s doorway. They disappeared into cars in the parking lot. When I donned my eyeglasses (don’t fret - I wore them while I was driving), those blue and pink orbs materialized into giant Hydrangea flower heads atop plants that were on their way to be a Mothers’ Day present the next day, no doubt. Wonder how many of those will survive to bloom again next year?

There is much more to the genus Hydrangea than those big pink or blue mopheads, Hydrangea macrophylla. A lesser known but marvelous species is the native Hydrangea arborescens. The common name for this beauty, Smooth Hydrangea, has been displaced by Mountain Hydrangea in a nod to its origins. In the wild, H. arborescens is a lacecap, but in the 1960s, a mophead type was discovered growing in Illinois. It was subsequently introduced to the market as ‘Annabelle.’

‘Annabelle’ remains immensely popular. It is hardy in zone 4 to 9, withstands more sun and needs less water than the large-leaf mophead varieties, and has huge (up to 12 inches across) white flowers from summer through fall. The only downside is weak stems that do not support the giant flowers, especially when rain increases the weight of the already-heavy flowers. Sadly,  puny stems allow the beautiful flowers to droop into mud.

‘Incrediball’ was introduced in 2009 as an improved ‘Annabelle,’ with mature size of 5 ft tall and 5 ft wide. It shared all the same positive qualities as its predecessor but with much stronger stems and even larger flower heads – up to basketball-size! Soon, non-white cultivars followed as introductions from Dr. Thomas Ranney of NC State University and Spring Meadow Nursery. Here are a few newer choices:

·‘Incrediball™ Blush’ has soft pink flowers; 5 ft tall x 5 ft wide. ·‘Invincibelle™ Ruby’ has deep red flowers; 4 ft tall x 4 ft wide. ·‘Invincibelle™ Spirit’ has pink flowers; 4 ft tall x 4 ft wide. ·‘Invincibelle™ Spirit II’ has pink flowers that age to a gorgeous green; 4 ft tall x 4 ft wide.
·‘Invincibelle Mini Mauvette®’ has mauve/purple flowers; 3 ft tall x 3 ft wide.
·‘Invincibelle Wee White® has white blooms; 2½ ft tall x 2½ ft wide.
·‘Invincibelle Limetta® has greenish flowers; 4 ft tall x 4 ft wide.
·‘Invincibelle Garnetta® has ruby flowers; 2½ ft tall x 2½ ft wide. (Proven Winners website describes the color as ruby-red, not garnet. Weird, huh?)

Site H. arborescens in half sun to mostly sun. Shrubs in more sun will require more irrigation than their sisters planted in shadier locations. All bloom on new wood, so they are resistent to bud death due to late freezes. Prune hard in late winter, cutting stems back to 6-12 inches just before new growth starts. Dried blooms can be removed at any time and used in flower arrangements. The dried flowers can be spray painted to match any décor – I’m partial to deep burgundy or silver, for use around the holidays.

Unlike Hydrangea macrophylla, Hydrangea arborescens do not change colors when soil is altered. White flowers stay white. Pink flowers stay pink. Fertilize once in spring, and provide sufficient irrigation to prevent plant wilt without creating a boggy soil. Plants prefer neutral to acidic soil. If in doubt, check the grow zones for your preferred cultivar. Most are hardy in zones 4-9.