Yes, the one I planted (and 2 other friends) just fell down once the blooms came, but even worse, the rabbits stripped all the leaves off my stems, and the flowers are now brown. I really hope that this did not kill the plant, and the root system has taken enough that next spring I will get all new shoots. One thing for sure, I will make sure that it is staked up properly before any flowers.

Take all you hear about this plant with a grain of salt. Its too new...afterall its an annabelle and they do flop.

This one is supposed to have stronger stems but it will take a few years...I don't know anyone that has had the plant for a few years.

As for mine...many stems have flopped after a rain and they didn't perk back up. There are now new blooms perking up that aren't flopping.

That is just year 1 and you can't make judgement on a young plant like that. My initial thought is that is will have a long bloom period. All though the color isn't the greatest I still perfer it to the amazingly overused white version that starts limey, turns white, then goes brown.

I have this plant - probably purchased it around the end of June - to be honest I have been pleased with it to date - we just had a week with a mix of heavy downpours, windy and then days of very high humidity, and it has weathered it all just fine, no flopping or any other stress...flowers are nearly all open - have been taking some progress pics as it develops which you can see below...

End of June pic...

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Early July...

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Taken today (a day after heavy rains etc.)

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Today...

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Do not forget to post pictures of 'pantyhose stage' of it in 12-14 days. Yuk! :-(((

I've read folks use pantyhose as a color decriptor before...I don't get it?

I guess mine was just a weaker specimen then! Hammonds, your pics are awesome. I know annabelle types have weaker stems in general, so im not expecting sturdyness, but mine looks like a pile of wet noodles! Lol
Regardless, i love it and will baby it till it decides to grow better. I really like it and wish i could have afforded another, maybe next season!

Mine looks like hammond's. I like it, but I don't see any hint of reblooming after removing spent flowers a month ago. Maybe it's working on establishing itself this year and will rebloom next year.

so did anyone get any reblooming?

I bought one half-price at the end of the season. I was quite impressed that it still had new buds coming up very late in the season. I think it was September. it had been pruned in its container. There was fresh foliage and ugly old foliage in same container. Maybe mid-season pruning is necessary for reblooming????

I just read about H. Bella Anna coming and am kinda sorry I grabbed IS. Oh well...can't resist a sale on something new and different.

We saw some re-blooming on our crop at the nursery, but overall, I'm still unimpressed with this plant. I have seen Bella Anna in person, and it is a much stronger, and more heavily pigmented arborescens. They just jumped the gun with Invincibelle Spirit. I have seen a few that look nice, and the pics above are really quite lovely, but in my experience, its a pretty wimpy plant.

I think you have to give Hydrangea arborescens some time to mature in the garden to judge the plant. I planted a 3 gallon Invincibelle in my garden and in it's second year the stems woody and strong and it holds it flowers up better than Annabelle. It's still flowering and it's November.