How to Plant, Grow and Care For ‘Incrediball’ Hydrangea

The hydrangea. We know it. We love it. Hydrangea arboresecens is a species of hydrangea that is native to the eastern United States. This beautiful species naturally resides in rocky hillsides in the woods near streams.

Luckily for us, this cultivar made its way into our gardens and has become extremely popular. Through the love of the smooth hydrangea came the cultivar of ‘incrediball’ hydrangea.

The ‘incrediball’ hydrangea is a cultivar of Hydrangea arborescens or smooth hydrangea. ‘Incrediball’ is a hybrid of the very well-known ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea. The ‘annabelle’ hydrangea is beautiful but it is known to flop under the weight of the heavy blossoms. This shrub was bread to combat those floppy stems, and it is a smashing success!

This cultivar will grow up to 4 or 5 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide. Massive 12-inch flowers will form on sturdy upright growing stems. These flowers will begin to blossom in mid-summer in white and, as the season progresses, will age to a nice shade of green. These gorgeous flowers will hold their color through the first frost.

This is a very hardy hydrangea, tolerant of the chilly temperatures in zone 3 as well as the heat of zone 8! This wide hardiness range makes ‘incrediball’ a great selection for so many gardeners!

Propagation

‘Incrediball’ is easy to propagate right at home. The best way to propagate all cultivars of hydrangeas is by taking cuttings.

In the early summer, find a nice green stem with a few sets of leaves on it and cut it off of the shrub. This cutting should be at least 6 inches long. Remove the bottom sets of leaves so you have exposed some leaf nodes which will work as growth points.

Dip the cutting in some rooting powder and stick the cutting into some sterile growing medium.  It can be helpful to add a stake to your container and place a plastic bag over the top. This bag will keep the cutting warm and the soil moist.

Gently tug on the cutting every week or two, and you will eventually notice that roots have taken hold. At this point, you are free in the ground, or you can allow it to grow a bit more in the pot.

Whatever you choose, it is always a good idea to harden your cutting off. Take your pots outdoors for about a week to allow the cutting to get used to the elements.

Planting

Planting is the first step in getting them into your garden and is quite easy. Once you have selected the right plant for you, you will need to find the best spot in your garden. ‘Incrediball’ hydrangeas grow best in full to partial sun.

Once you have found the right spot, dig a hole about twice as wide and as deep as the rootball of the plant. Situate your plant with its best face forward, and then backfill the hole with your garden soil. I like to add compost to the top of the soil for a nutrition boost.

Water your newly planted hydrangea heavily. Keep your eyes on the shrub for the rest of its first season in your garden to ensure that it is growing properly and getting enough water.

How to Grow ‘Incrediball’ Hydrangeas

Now that you have your ‘Incrediball’ hydrangea planted in your garden let’s learn how to care for this flowering shrub so it can thrive.

Sunlight Requirements

Hydrangea arborescens ‘Incrediball’ grows best in partial to full sun. This could range from 4-6 hours of sunlight or more per day. If you have planted this cultivar in full sun, you will want to keep your eye on the plant to make sure it doesn’t need extra water.

Smooth hydrangeas have been known to flop if they are too shady, so be sure that you do not plant your ‘incrediball’ in deep shade.

Water Requirements

This cultivar is no different from other hydrangeas in terms of their need for water. One inch a week is the standard that these flowering shrubs will require from you.

Be on the lookout if you have planted ‘incrediball’ in containers or full sun. If planted in either of these situations, they will need more frequent watering than those planted in shaded gardens.

Soil Requirements

‘Incrediball’ will thrive in rich soil that is well draining. Well-draining soil should be able to retain moisture without pooling which can rot the roots of your plants.

If your soil pools a bit, this cultivar can tolerate it. It may just take a bit of compost to amend your soil so that it can retain the right amount of moisture for your plants.

Climate and Temperature

‘Incrediball’ is hardy in zones 3-8. This means that this cultivar is quite cold and heat tolerant. Wrapping your hydrangeas over the winter is not necessary.

‘Incrediball’ blooms on new wood, so if there is any major winter damage, you can just prune the shrub to the ground and start fresh in the spring.

Fertilizer

‘Incrediball’ does not require any special fertilization. Hydrangeas can benefit from a basic fertilizer in the springtime. Even though this cultivar’ was bred for stronger stems, you will want to make sure you are not fertilizing too frequently.

Over fertilizing will cause weaker stems which could cause the stems to flop under the weight of the heavy blossoms. This happens because too much fertilizer will cause the hydrangea to push vegetative growth, which will result in leggy stems.

Maintenance

This cultivar is quite low maintenance. Some gardeners may prefer to deadhead their spent hydrangeas, while others enjoy leaving the aged blossoms on their shrubs. This is entirely up to you, and there is no real benefit to deadheading since these shrubs will not rebloom.

Weeding your gardens and removing any other plant debris is a great way to keep your gardens looking beautiful and also to keep the plants healthy. Plant debris is known to spread fungal diseases as well as insects. Give your garden a once-over every week or so to keep everything in good shape.

Pruning

As with other smooth hydrangeas, ‘Incrediball’ blooms on new wood. This means that the flower buds will be formed on growth that is fresh in the spring. This makes life simple when it comes to pruning.

You are free to prune in the fall when you are cleaning up your garden, or you can wait until the spring and prune before you notice any new green growth forming. If you do not get to pruning at all, that is also okay! Older woodier stems can provide support for branches with heavy flowers.

Cut them to knee height or to the ground if you are looking to rejuvenate your shrubs.

Pests

There are no real pest threats when it comes to hydrangeas. However, you will notice your general garden pests setting up shop in your ‘incrediball’.

Aphids, beetles, and spider mites are very common in gardens in the summertime and hydrangeas are not exempt from their damage.

The good news is that if you are keeping your hydrangea watered, it will not show any signs of stress. Pests, especially spider mites, love to feast on stressed plants. If you notice the webbing of spider mites, spray your plant down with a strong spray from your hose. The water pressure should be enough to knock them off.

The same goes for aphids as far as control. However, these pesky garden pests are sneaky and can damage some of your plants.

The insects themselves are tiny and usually green, making them difficult to see until you notice what appears to be millions of them on your stems. You may also notice ants. This is another sign of aphids.

Ants feed on the aphid’s sweet excrement and, in turn, end up protecting the aphids from predators. Spray your plants down to knock these little guys off of your plant as well. You can also mix dish soap and water with a little bit of rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and directly spray it on the aphids themselves.

Japanese beetles are a bit more tricky since they can easily fly around your garden. When these beetles take hold of your plants they will nearly strip your leaves if they are left to their own devices.

Mind your lawn to make sure there is not a large grub population which will lead to more beetles in your gardens. Fill a bucket of soapy water and knock the beetles into the bucket.

Diseases

Due to the shady growing conditions that ‘incrediball’ hydrangeas will likely be growing in, there is a higher risk for fungal diseases. These fungal diseases may be powdery mildew, leaf spot, root rot, or botrytis blight.

These fungal diseases can be prevented by keeping your gardens neat and by removing any infected plant tissues from any nearby plants.

If you need to treat your shrub, try a copper fungicide, or ask your local garden center for product recommendations based on what they have in stock.

Plant Uses

While many other species have a neat growth habit the smooth hydrangea, including ‘incrediball’, has a bit more of a wild habit. Now, I am not talking about crazy and unruly, but it is a bit more whimsical than the others.

This shrub can be planted in the same ways as other types of hydrangeas, such as in containers, hedges, or a woodland edge, as long as you are okay with imperfect lines.

Keep in mind the native habitat of the smooth hydrangea. These shrubs can be found growing on rocky slopes. If you have a slope in your yard that could use some erosion control, planting ‘incrediball’ would be helpful and beautiful.

Frequently Asked Questions