8" or less? Not really written in stone. Depends on how much growth you get per year and how much you want to cut. :o) I have sometimes cut them all the way down when I want to start all over too. But do this when they have gone dormant so it does not trigger growth again.

Some years the rodents "prune" my Annabelle down to mere stubs and it comes back fine. As Luis said, wait until it's cold enough to be really winter so that it doesn't start trying to grow new leaves this fall.

Thanks. I will wait a few more weeks and then prune to about 15 inches.

Lower trims results in larger blooms. I trim a few to 15"...most of them down to 2-3.

I don't have 'Annabelle, though grow 'Incrediball' and would also agree that the 15 inch or so pruning will produce a very good specimen.

'Incrediball', plant is about 4 1/2 ft tall.

I find that blooms are larger but fewer when I prune, and since I prefer the smaller more prolific flowers, I don't prune most years. But my Annabelle is under a spot where snow gets raked off the roof in heavy snow year, damaging branches, and I expect a fair amount of rodent damage this year since all the branches are buried, so often I need to prune to fix winter damage.

That's one of the best positives of Annabelle/Incredible...they will always

spring right back , no matter how short you choose to trim them. I have quite

a few, because I'm in love with hydrangeas. I spread them all around in my

garden. The white always pop among the other shrubs. I've gotten quite a

few of the baby plants (off shoots)...shared some at the Farmers' market. Once

my friends see the pics...they're in! It's a good thing!

Yes, lower trimming results in larger, however, fewer blooms. Good to at

least have that choice. I'm just waiting for Spring!

Anyone have problems with the Leaftier Moth, every Spring my Annabelle’s & Incrediballs are covered with them... this Spring I’ll try the BT bug spray

Yes I do, and am planning to do the same. Timing is tricky, however since you want to do it before they wrap themselves out of reach of the bT.

Thanks Babs, every year I peel open the pod and squish the worm... when you have maybe 50 pods on a shrub and a good number of Anna’s & Incredi’s it becomes a lot of work

I've tried peeling, but what a pain! I always damaged the leaves and they looked tattered, so I just started clipping them. I had to collect and drown or squish them, but the branches put out new buds for leaves and flowers, so it wasn't an issue. I will see how I do with bT. I have something similar going on with my clematis, though I am not sure it's the same critter.