Smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball'

Questions about smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball'

Does smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' need sun or shade?

Smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and plenty of water.

What zones does smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late June to early September. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' be planted?

4 ft (120 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 5 ft (150 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 5 ft (150 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' plants do I need?

Usually one. At 4 ft (120 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 4 ft apart: three plants for a 10 ft run.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. Leaves and buds can cause vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten.

Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball'?

These come closest to doing what smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Glossy abelia: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers mid June to early October, fine leaves, not bold.
• Fothergilla 'Mount Airy': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late April to mid May, medium leaves, not bold.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball'?

They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.

Will smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by suckers into a wider clump. Remove the outer shoots to contain it.

What flowers after smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball'?

Smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' is over by early September. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Korean feather reed grass: from late August to mid October, 4 ft tall.
• White snakeroot: from late August to mid October, 3½ ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Blue wood aster: from mid September to mid October, 3 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' look like in winter?

Smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.

Is smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' good for bees and butterflies?

Smooth hydrangea 'Incrediball' is visited by pollinators, butterflies, moths and songbirds.

It is a host plant: the caterpillars of hydrangea sphinx feed on its leaves. A butterfly can only lay its eggs on its host plants, so these do more for it than any nectar flower.

It is native to the United States (this is a named variety of the native plant).