Those in the pic look like Invincibelle originals. I would not recommend Bella Anna unless you stake/cage/lasso the heck out of it, and it's more or less out of production anyway. Invincibelle Ruby hasn't been tested all that much yet, but Invincibelle II (improved) is now out along with Incrediball Blush, but I'm not sure "how pink" Inc. Blush gets. I'll be happy if it gets "pink enough" and can do this (today):

I was lucky enough to go to a nursery that had a regular Anna plus Bella Anna and Invincible Spirit. Those last two are the original pinks. I did nott like the original shade of pink that they had. Just a personal opinion so I would recommend reviewing Ruby, Blush and Spirit II personally as opposed to looking at pictures. I have not seen them locally yet although I have been looking for any of them.... It would be great if another local nursery would buy them and place them side by side again!!! So, my suggestion is to check them in person before buying. You apparently ran into one of them already (probably the older versions).

I mail-ordered IR and IB from Garden Crossings but it might be a year or two before they do anything significant.

I have Ruby but it does not get very tall but has a pretty dark pink/red bloom. Blush has a nice big bloom but it is a light pink. Pretty but not as dark as your picture.

This is Ruby

This is blush.

I found a video from Greenhouse Management with a rep from PW explaining the nature of Ruby. He quotes THREE FEET as the height so beware of that. He also quotes that it "stays red", whatever that means. I would assume it does this until turning brown, and does not go through a green phase.

Here is a still-frame from the video of some early 3-gallons:

It does stay red a long time but old blooms will have a green/ red look. I will have to take a picture of my old bloom. I really like this plant but wish it would get a little taller.

Hi Boston here, picked up a couple of inv11 in May

Can't wait to start growing mine! Where from and when did you get yours, Brooks23?

I got my first one in a big size from Garden Crossing and the second I got smaller frun Jung. I think both places are not shipping now but will again in the fall. I got Blush and Ruby and like them both.

Good job growing your newbies everyone, they already look good! Garden Crossings is shipping mine next week. They ship weekly and you have until the end of the week prior to modify an existing order. Their customer care person Heidi is very friendly and professional.

I've determined that growers that only ship in Spring/Fall are only really trying to get a head start growing plugs and building up their inventory. I've ordered many things during spells of 80s and 90s and the plants are always fine.

Next time I see Inv2 I'm definitely buying it and will probably toss my Bella Anna or at least move it to a VERY sheltered location. I'm tired of her not keeping up with the Annabelles.

I like the Inv2 and still have one of the regular Inv

Yeah Inv1 is still fine, probably better than BA.

There can never be too many hydrangea pics! Always nice to gawk at and study how these look in various regions and planting environments, and under varying degrees of care. City-funded property landscapes are always quite impressive as well. There is a nice hydrangea garden down by Gateway Center in Pittsburgh if anyone ever cares to check that out. Always fond of the fan type day lilies as well. They don't intrude much on hydrangeas and even look good with flowers protruding up through the arborescens' stems.

I recently posted an article on my blog about Hydrangea arborescens so that people can easily tell the difference between the varieties (the link is below). It does not include Invincibelle Spirit I because it is no longer on the market having been replaced by Invincibelle Spirit II, which has stronger stems and darker pink blooms. When it comes to size, Invincibelle Wee White is the shortest followed by the other dwarf varieties Mini Mauvette, Ruby and then Limetta. The rest are larger, full sized plants. In the North, these plants flower best in full sun. In the heat of the South, some shade is recommended. Please note that Hydrangea arborescens takes a few years to build up its structure to look its best. The blooms age better with a mature root system. When it comes to pruning, I think that shearing off the old blooms in the spring is best. If you are a perfectionist, you can remove the smallest stems that are less able to hold the blooms. Cutting the plants back harder or to the ground produces larger flowers, but also softer stems. The Invincibelle series is unique in that you can cut them back after flowering and they will rebloom. Annabelle and Incrediball are not rebloomers. In addition, Invincibelle Mini Mauvette is not a strong rebloomer. The Plant Hunter Blog - Hydrangea arborescens

Thanks Tim great article