Description
If you’ve been searching for a hydrangea that practically guarantees those showstopping, full blooms year after year, let me introduce you to Invincibelle Incrediball. This is the hydrangea that comes with serious confidence built right in—and honestly, once you see those enormous, perfectly formed mophead flowers appearing reliably on your plants, you’ll understand why this variety has become such a beloved choice for Connecticut gardeners. Unlike some temperamental hydrangeas that make you wonder if you’re doing something wrong, Incrediball is genuinely foolproof and incredibly forgiving, making it perfect whether you’re a seasoned gardener or someone just starting to fill in your landscape.
What it looks like
HYDRANGEA ARBORESCENS ‘Incrediball’ is an absolutely stunning plant that demands attention, particularly when it’s in full bloom. The flower heads are massive—we’re talking 8 to 10 inches across—and they’re perfectly spherical, which is where that wonderful “Incrediball” name comes from. These are the kind of blooms that make you want to invite all your neighbors over to admire them. The flowers emerge as pale green and gradually deepen into pure white, creating this lovely progression of color that’s especially beautiful in late summer when everything else in the garden is starting to fade. The foliage is a lovely medium green, and the overall plant habit is full and rounded, typically growing into a nicely proportioned mound that doesn’t look awkward or gangly the way some hydrangeas can.
Growing it in your garden
Here’s what makes Incrediball so special for us Connecticut gardeners: it’s extremely cold-hardy and, crucially, it blooms on new wood rather than old wood. What does that mean? It means that even if our unpredictable New England winters knock back the canes—and sometimes they do—your plant will still produce abundant flowers because those flowers form on the fresh growth that emerges in spring. This reliability is genuinely life-changing if you’ve ever had a hydrangea mysteriously refuse to bloom. The plant is also more vigorous and disease-resistant than many other hydrangea varieties, which matters a lot in our humid Connecticut climate where fungal issues can be a real problem. Give it a spot with full sun to partial shade; ideally, you want at least four to six hours of direct sun daily to encourage the most abundant flowering. The plant is equally unfussy about soil—it’ll grow in practically any garden soil, though it appreciates soil that’s been amended with organic matter and drains reasonably well.
Through the seasons
Spring arrives with the emergence of fresh new growth on sturdy stems—this is the growth that will eventually produce all those magnificent flowers. By early summer, you’ll start seeing flower buds forming, and by mid-to-late summer, the real magic happens as those enormous white mopheads unfold and mature. One of my favorite things about Incrediball is that these blooms last for an incredibly long time; we’re talking weeks and weeks of beautiful flowers right through late summer and into early fall. The white flowers gradually take on subtle pink or cream tones as the season progresses, which is absolutely gorgeous. Once fall arrives, the foliage turns a pleasant rust or burgundy color before dropping for winter. Even the dried flower heads have their own subtle beauty through the colder months and can look rather nice dusted with frost or snow. In spring, you’ll prune away the dead wood, and the whole cycle begins again.
Where it shines
Incrediball is wonderfully versatile in the garden. It looks absolutely magnificent planted as a specimen where you can really showcase those full, rounded flowers, particularly in cottage gardens or more informal landscape designs. It’s also excellent in foundation plantings because it has such a neat, tidy habit and doesn’t require the heavy pruning that some hydrangeas demand. Because it blooms so reliably on new wood, it’s perfect if you have limited pruning experience—you can even cut it back quite hard in spring if needed, and you’ll still get flowers. It works beautifully in shade gardens, though it’ll reward you with more abundant blooms in sunnier locations. Consider placing it where you can enjoy those flowers from your house, perhaps near a patio or deck, so you can really appreciate the full effect of those enormous white mopheads.
Perfect companions
The pure white flowers of Incrediball look absolutely stunning when paired with other summer bloomers. Plant it near purple coneflowers (ECHINACEA), Russian sage (PEROVSKIA), or black-eyed Susans (RUDBECKIA) for a beautiful contrast that extends your bloom season. For foliage interest, the mounding shape of Incrediball pairs beautifully with tall, architectural plants like ornamental grasses or slender junipers that provide a visual punctuation mark. Hostas are wonderful companions because they fill in the space beneath the hydrangea with interesting foliage, and they share similar growing requirements. Shade-loving ferns can soften the base of the plant if you’re positioning Incrediball in a more partial-shade location. White-flowering companions like oakleaf hydrangeas or white roses create a dreamy, monochromatic effect that’s particularly elegant.
Care tips
The beauty of Incrediball is that it genuinely doesn’t demand much fussing. Water regularly during the growing season, especially during our Connecticut heat waves—aim for about an inch of water per week, including rainfall. A 2 to 3-inch layer of mulch around the base helps retain moisture and keeps roots cool during summer. Prune in early spring by cutting back the previous year’s growth; you can prune quite hard if the plant is getting too large for its space. A light feeding with a balanced fertilizer in spring supports vigorous growth, though Incrediball isn’t particularly greedy. Watch for any signs of powdery mildew in humid conditions; good air circulation helps prevent this, though the variety has good disease resistance. Remove any spent flower heads if you prefer a tidier appearance, though I love leaving them through fall for their ongoing visual interest and because they provide food for birds.
Quick facts
- Hardiness Zone: Zones 3-9 (perfectly hardy throughout Connecticut)
- Mature Height & Spread: 4 to 5 feet tall and wide
- Bloom Season: Mid-summer through early fall
- Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade (4+ hours direct sun for best blooming)
- Water Needs: Moderate; approximately 1 inch per week during growing season
- Available at: Both our retail and wholesale locations.
