Smooth Hydrangea, Wild Hydrangea, Sevenbark 'Incrediball'

Novice gardener here. Never had Anabelle or any other hydrangea so can't provide a comparison. I initially had 3 Incrediballs planted und...Read Moreer a wall that receives glaring afternoon sun, in which they seemed to visibly suffer. Then I replanted one in a damp spot under complete shade, where it slowly shriveled up and died during the winter months. The next spring, I replanted the remaining two in a spot that receives plenty of morning sun. They have been very happy since, producing flowers that are 6 inches in diameter, with no signs of floppiness. They do droop on hot summer days when no water is given and if there is a lot of sun, the petals brown a bit, but I am so pleased with them. Wouldn't trade them for anything.

A great choice of shrub for moderately experienced gardeners. I say this because Incrediball *is* engineered to produce larger blooms tha...Read Moren Annabelle, BUT you as the gardener are responsible for providing the right growing conditions to allow for this to happen.

Some tips:
- Allow small plants (~1 gallon or smaller) three years to become mature and established.
- Trim off spent blooms before winter. At the beginning of Spring, cut old wood down to ~2 feet as the plant begins leafing out. Get rid of any extremely thin and spindly old wood. The remaining old wood will produce healthy stems and flowers and will also help hold up new stems as the plant later blooms.
- Provide adequate soil nutrients. Plant in up to 50% composted soil, and/or soil that is good at retaining moisture. Use standard mulching practices for the base of the shrub. Provide a healthy dose of slow release pellet fertilizer in late April or early May.
- Avoid excessive shade. A good 6 hours of sun exposure can help maximize bloom size.
- Provide drinks for the plant after hot and dry days, as drooping occurs. Water around the base of the plant for 30 seconds with shower setting on hose nozzle. Repeat every 48-72 hours if there isn't regular rainfall.

I have this plant in full sun where it is thriving. It is two years old, performing very well, and certainly living up to my expectation...Read Mores. I did notice it was a bit floppy the first year, but by the second year most all of the stems were very sturdy. It is planted in average soil, but I made an effort to keep it well watered these past two years, though will probably water less now that it is "settled in." I'm hoping to take some cuttings and start a few more plants around the yard in a partly shaded area.

Third year in the ground, officially established and the plant has grown huge to 5'. The stems are definitely strong but the flowers are...Read More not as huge as I was hoping. As with annabelle you can get huge flowers but location, weather and soils play a huge part of how the flowers themselves grow. I have tons of flowers on my plant but I am lucky to get anything larger than 6" across, have a couple near 7". I don't see any specific reason to offer this plant over Annabelle, if price is a concern go for the one that isn't branded. I don't suspect that side by side you would be able to tell much of a difference except in stem strength. At 5' the flowers do not flop to the ground but do stay upright, even through heavy rain. Newer stems near the ground or the sides do flop however until they get old and thick enough to handle the weight.