Bigleaf hydrangea vs Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle'

Bigleaf hydrangea and Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle' are often considered for the same spot in the garden (flowers, specimen, container). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Bigleaf hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A rounded deciduous shrub with large mophead or lacecap flower clusters that carry the garden through summer. Plant it in sheltered part shade where…

Shrub

Part shade

Shade

from about PLN 15

Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle'

Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' 1.3 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A rounded deciduous hydrangea that carries huge snow-white flower globes, 20 to 30 cm across, from early summer, and because it blooms on the…

Shrub

Part shade

Full sun

Shade

from about PLN 26

Key differences

Bigleaf hydrangea grows larger: 1.5 m × 1.5 m after ten years, against 1.3 m × 1.5 m for Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle'.
Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle' is hardier: down to -34 °C, against -23 °C for Bigleaf hydrangea.
Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle' copes better with summer heat than Bigleaf hydrangea.
Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle' needs less water than Bigleaf hydrangea.
Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle' also takes chalky soil, Bigleaf hydrangea prefers acidic soil and struggles on chalk.
Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle' needs less care than Bigleaf hydrangea.

Which one to choose?

Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle' is the better choice if the garden is cold or a frost pocket, the spot is hot and sunny, you cannot water regularly or the soil is chalky.

Watch out for

Bigleaf hydrangea

Most cultivars flower on the previous year's wood, so in Central Europe a hard winter or a late spring frost can kill the flower buds and leave the shrub with few or no flowers that year; young plants are worth mulching with leaves for winter. On limy soil and with hard irrigation water it develops iron chlorosis (yellowing leaves). In hot, dry summers the leaves and flowers scorch and spider mites appear; aphids, powdery mildew and leaf spot also occur.

Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle'

In Central Europe summer heat and drought are its main enemy: in hot sun without watering the leaves wilt and scorch and the flower heads stay smaller. After rain the big heads pull the weak stems to the ground, so give it support or cut back only to 30 to 40 cm in spring to build a sturdier framework. Powdery mildew and leaf spot can appear in humid weather and aphids on young shoots, but they are rarely serious.

The data side by side

Feature	Bigleaf hydrangea	Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle'
Group	Shrub	Shrub
Size after 10 years	1.5 m × 1.5 m	1.3 m × 1.5 m
Ultimate size	1–2.5 m × 1–2.5 m	0.9–1.5 m × 1.2–1.8 m
Growth rate	Medium (uncertain)	Fast
Light	Part shade, Shade	Part shade, Full sun, Shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Acidic	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Acidic, Calcareous
Hardiness	down to -23 °C (USDA 6, RHS H7)	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	Low	Medium
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	June–September, white, pink, red, blue, purple	June–September, white
Water need	High	Medium
Drought tolerance	Low	Low
Maintenance	High	Low
Planting distance	100 cm	100 cm
For dogs	Toxic	Toxic
For cats	Toxic	Toxic
For children	Mildly toxic	Mildly toxic
Typical price	approx. PLN 15	approx. PLN 26

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 25, 2026

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