Plant of the Week: Invincibelle® Spirit II Hydrangea arborescens

Hello and Happy Monday...Friday?

Invincibelle Campaign section of PWCC booth

Okay, it's been a busy week....but as promised, this week my post was written (partially) from Cultivate18 in Columbus, OH. It was a great show where I got to catch up with many of the friends I have met over the past few months, but the most exciting part for me was being part of making the "official" announcement that, through the cooperation of growers and garden centers across North America, we have raised over a million dollars for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation®!

Hydrangeas from the Invincibelle® Series

Dale Deppe and I making the announcement onstage
(They made it plenty pink for us!)

Over the past 9 years, one dollar has been donated for every Invincibelle® Spirit II hydrangea sold in garden centers, plus additional funds have been raised through Pink Day events in local garden centers across the US and Canada. On Monday morning (the 16th) I took the stage with Spring Meadow owner Dale Deppe and we made the announcement just prior to the State of the Industry keynote address. The stage was decorated with selections from the Invincibelle® line of hydrangeas, and we had Invincibelle® Spirit II hydrangeas in the campaign sections of the Proven Winners® and Proven Winners® ColorChoice® (PWCC) trade show booths.

There's plenty to love about the Invincibelle® Spirit II Hydrangea arborescens, but what's really cool is that it does something no other hydrangea can do, help to find a cure for breast cancer. You can go to the Spring Meadow website to find out more about the campaign and $1 million milestone.

Laura from Garden Answer even created a video about it! You can watch it here.

Because this was such a celebration of the Invincibelle® Spirit II hydrangea, I wanted to feature it in this week's Plant of the Week. Enjoy!  -Natalie

Meet Invincibelle® Spirit II hydrangea - the powerful, pink 'Annabelle' hydrangea. It delivers dark green foliage and large, deep pink flowers that age to an attractive green, held up on strong, stiff stems.

Invincibelle® Spirit II is an improved version of the orignal Invincibelle® Spirit pink Hydrangea arborescens, bred by Dr. Tom Ranney in North Carolina.

An easy-to-grow North American native shrub, Invincibelle® Spirit II begins to flower in early summer. The flowers start out dark burgundy in color, open to a rich pink, and gradually age to an attractive green. This hydrangea has the unique ability to continue blooming up until frost, providing months of beautiful, pink flowers! While deadheading is not strictly necessary for the plant to re-bloom, it does encourage it to happen faster. Simply remove the faded flower just above a set of leaves.

It's worth noting, like other shrubs, hydrangeas require three seasons in the ground to perform their best. The flower size, color, and quantity will increase dramatically on your Invincibelle® Spirit II hydrangea as it grows into its site.

Fall Blooms on Invincibelle Spirit II

Invincibelle® Spirit II tolerates a wide range of soils but does best in moist, well-drained areas and can even be grown in potting soil in a large container if you’d like.

Hydrangeas like plenty of water, especially their first year or two after planting. Try to not let the soil to dry out completely while the plant is getting established. A 2-3″ thick layer of shredded bark mulch applied over the root zone conserves water, keeps the roots cool, and insulates the roots during winter.

This hydrangea will do best with a minimum of four hours of sun each day, ideally in the morning. Some direct sun each day ensures vibrant color, abundant blooms, and strong stems. In cool climates, it can tolerate more sun; in hot climates, it will require more shade, particularly in the afternoon.

The best time to prune a smooth hydrangea is in early spring, just as the buds emerge but before they
start to open. Remove any dead flowers still on the plant, along with any thin, spindly growth and any very old and woody growth. Pruning is not imperative but it can encourage stronger stems and a more attractive overall form. You can remove up to one-third of the plant’s total height if you’d like.

If you'd like to give your hydrangea a boost in early spring, apply a granular fertilizer formulated for flowering shrubs (rose fertilizers are ideal) according to package directions. The application may be repeated as the initial wave of flowers winds down if desired.

Invincibelle® Spirit II hydrangea is hardy to USDA zone 3 (-35°F, -40°C) and heat tolerant to AHS zone 9 (120-150 days above 86°F/30°C). Don’t know your zone? Find your hardiness zone here and your heat zone here.

Thanks for reading! Next week I have Jane's post about Lo & Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip' Buddleia ready to go...so check back Monday for another new post.