Hydrangea arborescens Golden Annabelle

Hydrangea 'Golden Annabelle' completes this beautiful series of hydrangeas with huge globular flowers and variegated yellow foliage, as decorative as it is bright. In the same vein as the famous 'Annabelle', Virginia Hydrangea bushes are appreciated for their floribundity, hardiness, greater tolerance to sunlight and slightly acidic soils, as well as their vigour. This beautiful bush forms very large white-cream balls throughout the summer, tinted with green-yellow when blooming. The sturdy stems easily support the weight of the flowers, even when laden with rain. It suits gently sunny flower beds and hedges, but also adapts perfectly to pot or container cultivation on a terrace. Its flowers are also very beautiful in bouquets.

Hydrangea arborescens, or Virginia Hydrangea, belongs to the large Hydrangeaceae family. This botanical species is native to the Southeast USA and is less demanding in terms of shade and soil than its Asian counterparts. It has produced numerous varieties through hybridisation that have proven to be excellent garden shrubs, such as the famous 'Annabelle', obtained in the USA.

The 'Annabelle' series, usually marketed under the name 'Incrediball' outside of Europe, includes highly branched and highly floriferous bushes that decorate the garden from June until the first frost. 'Golden Annabelle', recently selected in the Netherlands, is a very hardy plant that faithfully reblooms even after cold winters, on the year's shoots. It has beautiful branching and sturdy stems that reach up to 1.2 m to 1.3 m ( (3.9 ft to 4.3 ft) and form a bush at least the same width (or even wider depending on the conditions). They are crowned from the end of June with very large perfectly spherical corymbs that continue to bloom until September. The inflorescences can measure up to 30 cm (11.8 in) in diameter and consist of a multitude of small flowers with 3 to 4 petals, pale yellow-green that fades almost to white over time, and turning green again at the end of flowering. The overall effect harmonises elegantly with the variegated foliage, composed of beautiful single leaves 10 cm to 20 cm (3.9 in to 7.9 in) long, wide and ovate, nicely crinkled and deciduous. The leaves are a bright green in the centre, widely margined with bright yellow-green. Deciduous, they fall in autumn. Hydrangeas can live for many years in the garden, often more than 50 years.

If you like natural-looking hydrangeas that are easy to grow in any good garden soil, 'Golden Annabelle' will not disappoint you. If your decor is more contemporary, or if you have a small city garden, this moderately growing bush will bring an elegant touch. Hydrangea arborescens 'Golden Annabelle' brightens up any partially shaded scene, whether isolated or grouped. Plant a small border of boxwood or Lonicera nitida 'Elegant' at its base to form a setting for its large pale flowers. In the front of an urban garden, it brings romance and distinction. It can be surrounded by hellebores, hardy fuchsias, daffodils, and pansies that prolong the flowering and complete the range of colours. Finally, it is superb in flower beds and flowering hedges, and is perfectly suitable for use in large pots or containers on a terrace. Cut its flowers to create beautiful bouquets!