Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ (Hydrangea)

I haven’t been able to confirm whether Hydrangea arborescens is a true North American native, or naturalized. Hydrangeas are popular with gardeners. Common in foundation plantings and landscaping, colored varieties have been developed as well. See this Hydrangea comparison table.

Plants: These hydrangeas are loosely, widely branched deciduous shrubs that reach 3–5′ (91–152 cm) in height, and a spread of 4–6′ (1.2–1.8 m). The Annabelle variety is the most widely known, producing large white flowerheads up to 8–12″ (20–30 cm) across.

Leaves: Opposite, egg-shaped or rounded, dark green, wrinkled, and sharply toothed, 8–12″ (20–30 cm) across.

Flowers: Spherical white flowerheads up to 8–12″ (20–30 cm) across. White fertile flowerheads bloom from May to July, continuing to bloom sporadically until September. The ‘Annabelle’ cultivar produces much larger flowers. There is also a pink variety.

Habitats: Acidic, moist clay or rocky wooded slopes, ravines, streambanks and bluff bases.

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Rosales	Rose family and eight others
Family	Hydrangeaceae	Hydrangea family
Genus	Hydrangea	From Greek hydro, “water,” and angeion, “vessel”
Species	arborescens	"Becoming tree-like," (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)

About plant names...

Range: Zones 3-9:

About this map...

Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.