Huge Basketball-Size White Blooms on a Tough, Reliable Hydrangea

Incrediball Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Abetwo') is a beefed-up, sturdier-stemmed Annabelle — a smooth hydrangea that produces enormous, basketball-size white flower heads on stems strong enough to hold them upright. As a smooth hydrangea it blooms on new wood and is reliably hardy across Minnesota, flowering every year even after a hard winter. It also takes more shade than panicle types. Whether you're filling a part-shade border in Edina, lining a shaded foundation in Woodbury, or cutting giant blooms in Maple Grove — Incrediball is a dependable performer for zone 4b–5a yards.

Incrediball Hydrangea Plant Details

Incrediball Hydrangea Uses in Minnesota Landscapes

Part-shade borders

Unlike panicles, smooth hydrangeas take real part shade, making Incrediball a great choice for a shaded border or a spot under high tree canopy in Edina or Minnetonka.

Big bold blooms and hedges

The giant white globes make a dramatic statement; planted 4–5 feet apart they form a billowy flowering hedge that rebounds fast each spring on new wood.

Cut and dried flowers

The huge heads are spectacular fresh and dry well — a single bloom fills a vase.

Best Time to Plant Incrediball Hydrangea in Minnesota

Fall (late August–early October) is the ideal planting window. Soil is still warm for root development, cool air reduces transplant stress, and the plant gets 6–8 weeks to establish roots before ground freeze (typically mid-November in the Twin Cities).

Spring (late April–May, after the ground thaws) is the second-best window, giving the shrub a full season to establish before its first winter.

Avoid summer planting (June–August) when possible. Never plant after mid-October or before late April — frozen ground or frost-heaving kills new roots.

How to Plant Incrediball Hydrangea

1. Dig wide, not deep — 2–3× the root ball width, same depth as the container. Heavy clay benefits from even wider digging.
2. Part shade is fine — morning sun with afternoon shade keeps the big blooms fresh in summer heat.
3. Backfill with native soil mixed with 20–30% compost; firm gently and water in well.
4. Space 4–5 feet apart for a hedge; give specimens room to reach full width.
5. Build a 3–4 inch water basin to direct water to the roots; flatten it before winter to avoid ice damage.
6. Mulch 2–3 inches with shredded bark, kept 2 inches off the stems. Cut back to about 2 feet in early spring — it blooms on new wood and benefits from a hard spring cut for strong stems.

Watering Incrediball Hydrangea in Minnesota

First Year Watering Schedule

• Weeks 1–2: Every 1–2 days, deep and slow (15–25 minutes)
• Month 1–2: Every 2–3 days
• Month 3–6: Every 3–5 days; the big blooms wilt fast in heat, so don't let it dry out
• Stop watering 2–3 weeks before ground freeze (typically late October in the Twin Cities metro).

After Year One

Established plants need deep watering during dry spells and summer heat. Smooth hydrangeas appreciate steady moisture to support those enormous heads. Let natural rainfall do the rest.

Drip Irrigation in Minnesota

If used, place emitters 12–18 inches from the crown and keep the root zone evenly moist. Always winterize the system — blow out the lines before freeze and shut timers off by early October.

Will Incrediball survive a Minnesota winter?

Easily — smooth hydrangeas are hardy to zone 3 and bloom on new wood, so they flower reliably every year in the Twin Cities, even after a hard winter. No protection needed.

How is it different from Annabelle?

Incrediball has much sturdier stems and even larger flower heads, so it resists the flopping that old-fashioned Annabelle is known for.

Can it grow in shade?

Yes — smooth hydrangeas take more shade than panicles, performing well in part shade where panicle types would bloom less.

How do I prune it?

Cut it back to about 2 feet in early spring before growth starts. It blooms on new wood, and a hard spring cut encourages strong, upright stems.

You May Also Like

• Invincibelle Wee White — a dwarf smooth hydrangea for small yards
• Limelight Hydrangea — a classic hardy panicle for sunny borders
• Shop the full Three Timbers Minnesota catalog — zone 4-hardy plants hand-selected for Twin Cities yards

How Many Incrediball Hydrangeas Do I Need?

For a billowy flowering hedge, space Incrediball about 4 feet apart (it matures 4–5 feet wide):

As a specimen, give a single plant a 5-foot circle; in a part-shade border, groups of 3 at 4-foot spacing make the biggest white show. Because it's cut to 2 feet each spring, the hedge resets and refills reliably every year.

Incrediball Hydrangea Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: Cut it back hard to about 2 feet in April; vigorous new shoots rocket up — every bloom forms on this new wood, so winter never costs you flowers.
• Summer: Enormous basketball-size globes open lime, mature to pure white, and keep coming from early summer into fall on stems that don't flop.
• Fall: Heads age to parchment-green and tan — spectacular for drying — while the foliage drops to reveal the architecture.
• Winter: Dried flower heads persist on sturdy stems, catching snow for months of structure until the spring cut-back.

At a Glance

✔ Shade-Tolerant

Plant It With

• Invincibelle Wee White Hydrangea — the body's own pairing: a true dwarf smooth hydrangea to step the white blooms down to the front of the bed.
• Limelight Hydrangea — the classic hardy panicle for the sunnier end of the same border, extending bloom into fall.
• Annabelle Hydrangea — the beloved original Incrediball improves on; plant both and compare stem strength yourself.
• Invincibelle Ruby Hydrangea — ruby buds and silvery-pink globes for color contrast with the giant white heads.

Is Incrediball Hydrangea Right for Your Yard?

Incrediball thrives in morning sun with afternoon shade — or real part shade under high canopy — in moist, compost-amended clay-loam, and it blooms every single year on new wood no matter how brutal the winter. It's not a fit for hot, dry, neglected spots or high deer-pressure yards without protection: the big heads wilt fast in drought, and deer will browse it.