Kolkwitzia amabilis

The beauty bush is a deciduous shrub and a member of the honeysuckle or Caprifoliaceae family. This is a somewhat old-fashioned shrub that is grown primarily for its beautiful pink spring flowers. The shrub is upright, arching, and vase-shaped with a somewhat fountain-like appearance. It can become leggy with age because most of the foliage is at the upper part of the plant. The sprays of pink bell-shaped flowers with yellow throats appear from April to May. The foliage is dark green, broad, and ovate. Its fruits are small hairy capsules that persist on the shrub. This plant resembles another old fashion plant known as Weigela.

Beauty bush is a native of central and eastern China, and it has been introduced in the United States.

The former genus name, Kolkwitzia, is in honor of Richard Kolkwitz who was a professor of botany in Berlin, Germany in the 1900s. The specific epithet, amabilis, means "lovely."

Beauty bush prefers full sun for the best flowering, but it produces the best leaf color in filtered partial shade. It will grow easily in moist, well-drained soils. Pruning may be necessary because the shrub can become very dense and overgrown. Be aware that this plant blooms on old wood, and some flowers may be sacrificed. Ultimately, pruning will make for a more attractive plant. Pruning back to the ground may be advisable every few years. It is best to prune off the oldest stems in late winter or immediately after flowering.  Since it blooms on old wood, hard pruning in the winter will reduce blooms the following spring.

This plant is deer tolerant, clay soil tolerant, and black walnut tolerant.

Beauty bush may be planted in mass and used as a screen or hedge. It may also be used as a specimen, border, or foundation planting. This is an old-fashioned border-type shrub that is beautiful in the spring but offers very little interest ornamentally for the rest of the year.

Seasons of Interest:

Bark:  Winter   Bloom:  Spring   Foliage: Summer

Quick ID Hints:

• deciduous shrub, 6 to 10 feet tall, rounded, arching, and vase-shaped habit
• sprays of pink bell-shaped flowers with yellow throats that bloom in the spring
• flower stalks are pubescent
• dark green, simple, opposite, ovate leaves 
• fruits are small, ovoid, hairy capsules that persist on the plant
• exfoliating bark on mature stems

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  This shrub has no serious disease or insect problems. 

VIDEO created by Grant L. Thompson for “Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines for Landscaping” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University.