Hydrangea Incrediball® Smooth Hydrangea

Your eyes do not deceive you—the flowers on Incrediball® Smooth Hydrangea really are more than a foot long and perfectly round. A new selection of a native species from Proven Winners® Color Choice® Flowering Shrubs, Incrediball is without a doubt the largest-flowered mophead type in the world, its blooms approaching the size of beachballs.

Incrediball Smooth Hydrangea arose, like so many great inventions, as an accident—it was part of a breeding program designed to improve the stem strength of hydrangea, so that the blooms would stand up rather than flopping. Well, it worked. But who could have imagined the blooms would emerge so enormous and so packed with florets? It is descended from Hydrangea Annabelle, a beloved favorite for decades, but each of Incrediball's flowerheads contain 4 TIMES THE NUMBER OF BLOOMS as Annabelle's. It's simply amazing.

Appearing on new wood, the blooms open a very pale shade of green to cream and mature to pure white. Like most hydrangea, they begin blooming when the warm summer weather arrives, continuing all season, often generously extending into fall. Cut the blooms for fresh or dried arrangements. They last for months indoors, their petals acquiring a lovely papery texture.

Incrediball Smooth Hydrangea reaches 4 to 5 feet high and wide in sun (in the north) to partial shade (farther south). A moisture lover, it should receive regular watering to grow and bloom its best. You will find it easy to grow, eager to bloom, and breathtaking in the foundation, as a hedge, or in the border.

A native plant, Incrediball is indigenous to North America. Native plants are not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly. Naturally adapted to the climate and soil conditions of the region, they thrive without fertilizers or extra watering, once established. They also act as natural pest controls, reducing the need for pesticides in the garden. Landscaping with native plants promotes biodiversity and provides shelter and quality food for wildlife and pollinators, bringing gardens to life.