Weigela florida

Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling

wy-GEE-la FLOR-id-ah

Description

Weigela is in the Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle) family and is native to North China, Korea, and Japan. The epithet, florida, means "beautiful." This plant is a dense, rounded, deciduous shrub with somewhat coarse branches that tend to arch toward the ground as the shrub reaches maturity. For approximately two weeks, in each mid-to late spring, after the leaves emerge, showy, rosy-colored tubular flowers cover the shrub and have a repeat, though sparser, performance in mid to late summer. Plant this shrub in the full sun to light shade or dappled sunlight, though the best flowering and foliage color will occur in full sun.

Weigela typically grows from 6 to 10 feet tall and 9 to 12 feet wide; however, cultivars tend to be smaller. When mature, older interior branches can be removed in late winter to improve the plant's vigor and blooms the following year. This plant blooms on old wood, therefore, pruning is best done just after flowering as flowers appear on last season's wood. If not pruned, branches will form a fountain-like outline which is highly ornamental while covered with blooms, but over time it can take on a weedier appearance. Prune if necessary to help maintain the plant's size and shape.

In the United States and North America, this shrub is used in the landscape as a foundation plant, in a mass planting, or on a shrub border. Many of the dwarf cultivars can be grown as container plants. Weigela is air pollution and clay soil tolerant and is lightly salt tolerant.

Cultivars available include variegated leaf forms and many anthocyanin-hued (red, blue, or purple) flowers as well as a yellow-flowered cultivar.

Seasons of Interest:

Bloom: Spring and Summer Foliage: Spring, Summer, and Fall

Quick ID

Stems of new growth have 2 vertical rows of white 'hair'
Axillary tubular-campanulate flowers after leaves
Deciduous shrub with opposite, ovate, acuminate leaf
Stipular scars encircle stems

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Minimal insect and disease damage. It may be damaged by deer. May experience winter dieback.

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.

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Cultivars / Varieties:

'Alexandra'
Rose red blooms with glossy burgundy leaves.
'Bokraspiwi' Spilled Wine®
A spreading habit, smaller than 'Wine & Roses'. Dark red, wavy leaves. Flowers are hot pink.
'Brigela'
Variegated, red blooms.
'Bristol Ruby'
Deep red flowers. Up to 8' tall.
'Bristol Snowflake'
Vigorous, pink tinged blooms.
'Canary'
Light yellow flowers fade to pink.
'Candida'
White flowers, bright green leaves, grows to 8'.
'Carnaval'
Red, white and pink blooms on same plant.
'Courtalor'
Same as 'Carnaval'
'Dark Horse'
Burgundy foliage, deep pink flowers.
'Elvira'
Dwarf form of 'Alexandra', up to 3' tall.
'Eva Rathke'
Compact, 4-5', long blooming period.
'Foliis Purpireis'
Same as 'Java Red'.
'Foliis Purpureis'
Grows up to 39" tall.
'Java Red'
Compact form up to 4'. Red, white and pink blooms on same plant.
'Midnight Wine'
Dark burgundy foliage with pink flowers.
'Minuet'
Up to 30" tall. Red-purple flowers with leaves with a reddish tinge.
'Minuet'
Purple-green foliage, magenta-rose or pale purple flowers.
'Pink Delight'
Pink blooms that do not fade. 6' tall and wide.
'Pink Princess'
Pink blooms that do not fade. 6' tall and wide.
'Polka'
Deep pink blooms, 4' tall.

'Red Prince'

Brilliant red color bloom from late spring into early summer, up to 6'.

'Rubidor'
Gold leaves with red blooms. Up to 7' tall.
'Rubigold'
Same as 'Rubidor'
'Rumba'
Compact 3' with yellow-green leaves edged with purple. Red flowers with yellowish throat.
'Sunny Princess'
Similar to 'Pink Delight', variegated with thin yellow margin on the foliage.

'Sunset'

Unique variegated foliage with green centers and multicolored margins

'Variegata'
Leaves edged with creamy white margin. Rose-pink blooms. Compact and mounded up to 6' tall.
'Variegata Nana'
Similar to 'Variegata', smaller growing to 4'.
'Victoria'
Same as 'Alexandra'
'White Knight'
White flowers, densely-branched compact habit to 6' tall and wide.
'Wine and Roses'
Dark purple foliage and rosey pink flowers

'Alexandra', 'Bokraspiwi' Spilled Wine®, 'Brigela', 'Bristol Ruby', 'Bristol Snowflake', 'Canary', 'Candida', 'Carnaval', 'Courtalor', 'Dark Horse', 'Elvira', 'Eva Rathke', 'Foliis Purpireis', 'Foliis Purpureis', 'Java Red', 'Midnight Wine', 'Minuet', 'Minuet', 'Pink Delight', 'Pink Princess', 'Polka', 'Red Prince', 'Rubidor', 'Rubigold', 'Rumba', 'Sunny Princess', 'Sunset', 'Variegata', 'Variegata Nana', 'Victoria', 'White Knight', 'Wine and Roses'

Tags:

#cultivars #hummingbird friendly #showy flowers #deciduous #pink flowers #deciduous shrub #nectar plant #salt tolerant #shade garden #spring flowers #air pollution tolerant #transplant #deer resistant #adaptable #pollinator plant #fantz #clay soils tolerant #butterfly friendly #landscape plant sleuths course #hedge #wildlife friendly #cpp

Flower and leaf detail close- up — Flower and leaf detail close-up Niall McNauley CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Flower and leaf detail Normanack CC BY 2.0

Full Bloom — Full bloom F.D. Richards CC-BY-SA 2.0

Weigela florida 'Folliis Purpurels' Flower — Weigela florida 'Folliis Purpurels' flowers Leonora (Ellie) Enking CC-BY-SA 2.0

Weigela florida 'Variegata' flower and leaf — Weigela florida 'Variegata' flowers and leaves Alwyn Ladell CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Wisteria floribunda 'Variegata' Form F D Richards CC-BY-SA 2.0

Weigela florida 'Spilled Wine' leaf detail Jim Robbins CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Weigela florida 'Eva Rathke' Flowers (Asheville, NC) Jim Robbins CC BY-NC-ND 4.0