Annabelle Hydrangea, never fails to bloom.
Looking for a plant to grow and sell that is crazy popular, super easy to grow and sells like hotcakes? Annabelle Hydrangea is that plant. People love Annabelle Hydrangea because of the great big snowball type blooms.
The Hydrangea that never fails to bloom.
Annabelle never fails to bloom because unlike many other hydrangeas, Annabelle blooms on current years growth. That means that in the spring the plant leafs out, starts putting on new growth then about mid July it stops growing and starts making flower buds on the tips of all of the branches. A few weeks later the plant is in full bloom with striking white flowers.
In other words, the flower buds never have to survive winter weather. Many other hydrangeas in the macrophylla family of hydrangea make a flower bud during the summer for next year. That flower bud has to remain healthy for almost 12 months before it actually opens into a bloom. So many times harsh winter weather kills the flower bud before it ever has a chance to open.
Annabelle is a vigorous grower but it also loves to be heavily pruned in the fall. The more you prune it the fuller it is the follow growing season.
Annabelle is tough as nails.
Hardy in zones 4-9. As a plant seller that gives you a really large area that you can sell plants into.
The market for a plant like this is huge. At the time of this writing there are people in Our Private Members Area practically begging for this plant. Why? Because they want to propagate it and grow it, but before they can do that they need a few plants that they can take cuttings from. There is a never ending parade of people looking for plants like this.
Homeowners want them to plant in the yard.
Landscapers need them for commercial plantings such as movie theaters, shopping malls and medical office buildings and so on. That market alone is huge.
Retail garden center need them to meet the endless demand for this amazing flowering shrub.
Small growers need rooted cuttings and liners that they can grow out and sell. A rooted cutting is exactly as it sounds, a cutting, pretty much a stick, with some leaves and roots on the bottom. A liner is a rooted cutting that has been grown out for one growing season. It is starting to branch out and has a much heavier root system than a rooted cutting.
These are just a few of the Annabelle Hydrangea that I have planted around the nursery to take cuttings from.
Annabelle Hydrangea is super easy to propagate via cuttings.
This is insane, you are not going to believe your eyes. There are a few lessons to be learned here. One year ago I had not one Annabelle Hydrangea in my nursery and none planted in my yard at home. I desperately wanted some, needed some that I could take cuttings from.
I wanted to grow and sell them, but you can’t do that if you don’t have stock plants that you can take cuttings from. So this is what I did. I visited a local grower/friend of mine to see if he had any I could buy. He said; “I have some in one gallons but they are unpruned. I’ve been letting them grow out so I can get Hardwood Cuttings From them. If you want them I’ll let you have them for $4.00 each.
Perfect! Absolutely perfect.
I bought 100 of them, a $400 investment. I took them back to the nursery and put them in my container area. That was probably in October. In December, yes the dead of winter, I went out and took cuttings from them. Well, I did more than just take cuttings from them. I cut them almost down to nothing, leaving just a few stubs in each pot, less than 2″ tall.
Honestly, I cut them down to stumps!
I collected all the branches and took them up to the barn and cut the branches into as many hardwood cuttings as I could get from the pile of branches that I had. The cuttings looked like this . . .
Annabelle Hydrangea, hardwood cutting.
I dipped the cuttings in a rooting compound, Dip n Grow, then I stuck them outside in a bed of sand. From those 100 plants I got about 400 cuttings. That’s it. That’s all I did and I did it in the dead of winter. More about “Dead of Winter Plant Propagation Here.
Come spring two things happened.
- The cuttings that I stuck in the sand started to leaf out and at the same time they produced roots.
- The plants in the containers, that I cut down to stumps to get my cuttings started growing like crazy and I sold them all in May. I cut them down to stubs in December and by May they looked great and I sold them all for $5.97 each.
I didn’t actually sell all of them because I took about 12 of them and planted around the nursery so I could get cuttings from them each year. Think about that.
I bought 100 plants @ $4.00 each. I sold 88 of them @ $5.97 each a few months later. I turned my $400 investment into $525.36 in a matter of months, but more importantly, I now have a lifetime supply of Annabelle Hydrangea cuttings. Those 12 plants will yield thousands and thousands of cuttings!
The hardwood cuttings that we stuck in December were well rooted by June. We pulled them out of the sand and potted them up. This is the part that you won’t believe!
I took this picture in September. This is one of the rooted cuttings that we potted up in June. From a cutting stuck outside in December . . .
Annabelle Hydrangea grown from a cutting in one season.
Isn’t that amazing? From a single cutting, a stick really, this plant grew out to this in one season. I sold a bunch of these in the fall at $5.97 each! Most plants take longer that that, but these grow like crazy. And because it loves to be pruned hard, it never gets too unruly.
Annabelle Hydrangea in bloom.
This bloom is on one of the plants that I grew from a cutting. Stuck the cutting in December, this beautiful flower in September. This business never ceases to amaze me.
Let’s talk about something that seems completely “Whackadoodle Crazy”.
We’ve got people waiting in line to buy sticks of Annabelle Hydrangea. Yes, sticks! In Our Members Area, it’s quite routine for members to buy and sell hardwood cuttings to and from one another.
I bought this box of plants from one of our members. I happily paid $120 for this box of Gold Flame Spirea rooted cuttings.
Hardwood cuttings are so durable they can easily be stuffed into a priority mail box like the above photo and shipped across the country to another grower. That grower unpacks them, sticks them outside and presto! Come spring the cuttings leaf out and root at the same time.
I am creating this blog post in mid October and the growers know that in less than four weeks they can buy hardwood cuttings from other members and they are eager to do so. Anxiously waiting to do so.
Inside of the Backyard Growers Business Center we have a Buy/Sell Area where transactions like this take place every single day, pretty much year round. It’s amazing what I see offered for sale in there. Dogwood tree seeds, Japanese Red maple tree seeds, Lilac rooted cuttings, Rhododendron cuttings or liners.
And of course you can also buy dogwood trees, Japanese red maple trees, really rare Japanese maple trees and so on. All at wholesale pricing or below.
You name it, I’ve seen it for sale in the members area.
And the members who have been around for any length of time know who has what. They know who sells Japanese maples, who sells grape plants, who sells the blueberries, who sells hydrangea cuttings, rooted and unrooted. It truly is an amazing place.
I can’t even begin to tell you how much stuff I have Bought in the Members Buy/Sell Area, but I can assure you, I’ve spent well over $10,000 in there! I bought every thing from rooted cuttings, unrooted cuttings and thousands of dollars worth of rare Japanese maples.
Yes, I routinely buy plants from own customers and I am very happy to do so.
If you have questions or comments post them below and I’ll answer them for you.
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Hey Mike when you stick the winter cuttings (going to do Hydrangea and Green Giants) are they okay to be in the sun or still need to be shaded. (I am in Georgia). Also I was thinking about trying some cuttings in a big kiddy pool filled with sand and drilled at the bottom. Do you think that would be okay?
Thanks so much for all you do!
Scott,
The pool will be fine and no shade is need until summer for the hydrangea. The green giants don’t need it.
The reason Annabelle Hydrangeas area so hardy, bloom every year and do so well is that they were adapted from the native wild hydrangea many years ago. The oak l;eaf Hydrangea is also native to America.
What is your advise on cuttings from a Burning Bush, are they easy to reproduce by using the hardwood?
William,
As hardwood cuttings I’d say they are fair. Much easier as softwoods but you have to get them early. This about my “Six Week Rule”.
In northern Ohio the six week rule is typically June 1st. So that means that in southern Ohio the six week rule would probably be around the third week of May.
You have to find your own six week rule.
The Six Week Rule
Here’s the thing with softwood cuttings. Forget about what they say online (as if I’m not online pumping out info online!) about bloom date etc. If you follow the six week rule you can’t go wrong as far as timing is concerned.
From the day plants get their leaves in the spring, count ahead six weeks. During that six week period the plant actually produces, for you, about 5 or 6 inches of new, soft growth that can be used for softwood cuttings. That new growth needs six weeks to harden off enough to be used as a softwood cutting.
If you take the cuttings too soon, they will wilt down and fail, but most importantly you will have wasted those cuttings. You can take a few, stick under mist, and see how they hold up. If they stand up, you’re good to go. Some wilting is normal, but not laying flat on the rooting medium.
So anytime after the six week date is good until the wood starts to harden off near the end of summer.
Hi Mike, it seems like we’ve always lived paycheck to paycheck and over the years I’ve tried many things to try to make some extra money to no avail. You have inspired me to start working with growing plants and it’s something I can do with out spending much money at all. I read every email and all your articles. Have watched many of the videos. Most of what I’ve done so far has done well and things that fail teach me lessons.
Keep it up and keep inspiring me.
Steve Mills
Thanks Steve I appreciate that and keep up the good work.
Hi Mike
It’s May and I just realized I want one of these hydrangeas! Can I pot a stick now and hope to plant it in June?
Thanks, Victoria.
Victoria,
All I can say is give it a try.
Hi! Thank you so much for sharing all your wisdom!
I am very new at this and have a beautiful Annabelle that I would like to take hardwood cuttings from. So I could have this beautiful flower at our new house in 2 years. However, I’m not sure how long I can keep them in pots.
I cut a bunch of them below the node in late winter.
Next can I buy a big tubbware container and fill in 4” with sand?
How often do I need to water these?
And nothing else other than sand?
Thanks so much
Jenny,
Once it warms up you should water them daily and maybe put them in a shade spot. Come mid summer re-pot them or plant them in a bed.
Hey Mike. I stuck some hydrangea in the fall and they are leafing out fine, but do not see roots on the bottom. What gives? I know you’re busy but hope you have time to answer. Thanks.
Robert,
Just keep them watered and be patient. Hardwood cuttings usually make leaves before they root.
Mike
I have been following you for some time now & now I’m ready to start I think but i din,t know what I have paid for or not. I would like to buy some plants to great started I have the sand bed and I am in zone 5. Please help me get started I would like to do something before the ground freezes and I have a ft of snow to deal with
John
John,
There are two things you can do to get started. Our Backyard Growers University is a great value, it contains 17 years worth of archived content and videos, most have never been shared publicly. The second that you can and should do right now is at least test drive the members area. You can do that for only $7.00.
The members area is here; http://backyardgrowers.com/join
You can learn more about the university here; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/10/backyard-nursery-tools-of-the-trade-things-to-turn-you-into-a-successful-grower/
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the great info here. I managed to get one Annabelle late this season and want to grow cutting indoors through the winter. Bad idea? Any tips specific to propagating indoors? I have a nice warm area with plenty of artificial light and ability to control humidity.
Thanks!
GJR
GJR,
This really is a bad idea. If you do them outdoors they will root nicely. Inside is not good at all, they need to go dormant. See this https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2016/09/hardwood-cuttings-winter-of-20152016/
Thanks Mike.
Is there any method then via softwood cuttings? Or should hydrangeas always go dormant each year?
As you can tell if really like to get started so they can be as large as possible come spring.
Grant,
You can do hydrangeas as softwood cuttings. They can be a bit touchy as softwoods but it does work. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
Sorry, and a few years too late, Mike but the Annabelle is a hydrangea arborescens not paniculata. I have a 17 year old 12’ tall Lime Light hydrangea paniculata – hardwood all the way. Reliably heavy bloomer.
I worked landscape maintenance at a place for 11 years where I used gas hedge trimmers every fall to cut to the ground a huge bed of Annabelle’s. (boy do I wish I had stuck all the starts off of them!). However, I did have to do some selective removal because they were encroaching into nearby plants, and those removals are one of my favorite views out my kitchen window! I’ve been leaving them uncut every year and have no floppy stems like most people have.
I came here from the YouTube episode where you were making an Annabelle into a standard! I was very intrigued by that concept….. I found this episode first.
Will move along and see what else catches my eye! Thanks for all your videos and awesome techniques. I was hooked on your techniques with the video of sand, cuttings, pencils and trash bag in the shade greenhouse. Works beautifully!
Thanks Ruth!
Hi Mike,
Can I start now, Sept 18, taking hard wood cuttings from my Annabelle Hydrangea for next Spring potting?
Mike,
No, they are likely to fail because they are not yet dormant. Wait until after you get a hard freeze, not a frost, but a hard freeze. Around here zone 5 that’s usually mid Nov, usually just before Thanksgiving.
Thanks for sharing this info on hydrangeas. I love them and am thinking of focusing my energy on propagating them. Can you tell me of any other varieties that, like the Annabelle, do not produce buds until spring and therefore can be trimmed down completely?
Thanks!
Sharon,
Any hydrangea in the Panniculat family bloom on current growth. Most of the macropyllas do not.
Just wondering if you can start other similar plants, and how deep dose the sand need to be, lastly, what about the plants with patents? Will the plant police bust me?
David,
There are a number of plants that can be rooted as hardwood cuttings. I do red twig dogwood, rose of sharon all kinds of willows including pussy willow, forsythia, weigela, potentilla and purple sandcherry. The sand should be at least 3″ deep. I make mine deeper just to keep the roots from rooting into the soil below because I tend to leave mine in the sand for the entire growing season.
The plant police? The “plant police” are not actually officers of the law but private contractors hire to make sure nobody is violating plant patents. It is against the law and you should not be propagating anything that is patented. That’s just one of the reason why you really need the original plant tag, especially if you are rooting things that you intend to sell. But it is unlawful to propagate any patented plant, no matter what your intent for the plant is. See this https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2014/05/patented-plants-and-plants-with-registered-trademarks-and-the-tale-of-white-fountain-weeping-cherry-trees/
I only do about 10 or 20 percent of my cuttings as hardwoods. The rest I do in June as softwood cuttings. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
Thank you for sharing this great technique. I recently took cuttings from my mom’s very established hydrandgea ‘tree’. I don’t know the variety. It’s been around and healthy for many years. My cuttings did very well and have produced new leaves over the past few months. My question is: how do I winter these new little plants? They are currently all in one big planter. I live in Massachusetts and feel that it is too cold to transplant now. Any thoughts? Thank you!
Lelie,
You can transplant them now. All of my rooted cuttings spend the winter outside in the bed of sand right where I rooted them. They do fine. Just keep them watered as needed over the winter. But they should be in the ground, not in an above ground planter. Watch them after planting to make sure that freezing and thawing doesn’t push them out of the ground.
Thank you Mike. If I do not know where I ultimately want them planted, should I still put them into the ground only to be moved in the spring? Also, they are currently in a compost like mixture, should I remove them from the soil I am using now and into a bed of sand for the winter? Really appreciate you sharing your wisdom!
Leslie,
The soil that you are currently using is fine, probably better than sand for cuttings that are already rooted. Yes, you can heel them in the ground now for the winter, just be sure to move them in the spring before they are rooted in permanently. Ideally move them before they leaf out in the spring.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
Dera Sir,
l really appreciate what you did. l very new in growing plants BUT am very interested to have small gaeden near my house or may be will be able to make out some money on it. Please show me how to do the most perfect cutting.
Thanks and all the best
Mohd,
And that’s the thing. You don’t have to make a perfect cutting, just make the bottom cut below a node. Top cut? Doesn’t even matter. More here https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-winter-time-plant-propagation-can-home/