ShrubsDiscover the right shrubs for your garden.

Funshine ® abelia ( Abelia grandiflora ) . picture by Proven Winners .

With today ’s busy lifestyle , homeowners are always looking for style to liven up their landscapes without a set of effort . Abeliais an ornamental shrub that is under - comprehended and underused in many parts of the country and is worth a second face . Grown for its attractive leafage and exceptionally long flush time , it is well-nigh criminal maintenance - free once established . The centre - becharm leaves get in many different colors — from gold to burgundy — that often change throughout the maturate season . Fragrant tubular flowers salad days for months , making it a nonstop solid food source for hummingbirds , butterflies and worm pollinator .

Related to Aquilegia canadensis , the genusAbeliaincludes 30 species of deciduous and evergreen bush that are native to Eastern Asia and Mexico . Glossy abelia ( A.xgrandiflora ) , the most plebeian garden species , produces bright semi - evergreen leaves in colder zona , while retaining year - round vividness in warm regions . Newer hybrids are bred for singular foliage colour , showier flowers and compact sizes more desirable to small urban lots .

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On this page : The Basics|Planting|Care and Maintenance|Choosing the correct Abelia|Pictures|Landscaping Tips

On this page :

ABELIA BASICS

Zones:

4 to 11 , vary by type

Height/Spread:

Upright arching habit , 2 to 10 feet improbable and 2 to 8 feet wide

Exposure:

Full Sunday to fond shade ; leafage semblance and flush are sound in full sun .

Bloom time:

Spring to strike

Color and characteristics:

Oval , point leaves up to two in long are produce on graceful , arch branches . Foliage is lustrous green or scandalmongering , with jot of rose , orange , bronze or burgundy . Some are motley or multi - colored . Many varieties have farewell that change color as the season progress . tube-shaped efflorescence with four or five petals form in clusters on the tips of the stem . The small flowers , which are ordinarily fragrant , come in shades of bloodless , pinkish and sensationalistic . Other attribute admit coloured sepal and stems , crepuscle color and exfoliating barque .

Toxicity:

Abelia is not known to be toxic to baby or pets , and is sometimes used as hedge for pastures .

PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS

When to plant:

Plant during milder months of leap or descend to obviate heat or cold stress .

Where to plant:

opt a gay to lightly shaded site with fertile , well - draining soil that will stay evenly moist .

How to plant:

relax dirt in the planting orbit and better with compost . Remove works from container and softly razz out roots or slice up the root ball in several places if potbound . grok a hole slightly deep than the root ball and twice as wide . locate the works in the hole so the top of the beginning chunk is slightly above terra firma level . Fill in the hole , tamp down down soil around the base and body of water well . Spacing depends on the assortment .

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Sweet Emotion ® abelia ( Abelila mosanensis ) . Photo by Proven Winners .

Pruning and deadheading:

Abelia look best when allow to keep its natural soma and size . Since glossy abelia ( A.xgrandiflora ) blooms on fresh wood , prune in late wintertime to early leap before novel maturation come forth so that flowers are not sacrifice . Remove any dead or damaged branches , and thin as needed to encourage new shoot . gently clip to regulate . Some varieties produce long , errant watershoots ( thin shoots that grow out of the tree trunk or branches ) ; cut those out whenever they appear . To invigorate your abelia , lean out up to a third of the leg every few years . Deciduous varieties that blossom on previous wood ( such asA. mosanensis ) should be rationalise lightly as require just after flowering .

Soil:

Abelia prefers somewhat acidic , organically rich stain that ’s restrain middling moist and drains well , but is liberal of a diversity of conditions .

Amendments & fertilizer:

lend oneself a slow - release fertilizer formulated for woody plants in other give . Mulch around the tooth root geographical zone with constituent topic to retain moisture and suppress weeds .

Watering:

Though drought and rut tolerant once set up , it performs full with regular tearing . Irrigate once or twice a workweek during summer .

Diseases and pests:

When planted in optimal stipulation , abelia exhibits few , if any problems . potential diseases includepowdery mildewandanthracnose . Pests includeaphids .

Deer resistance:

Deer will leave it alone for the most part , though uttermost conditions can leave in deer grazing on flora they would n’t otherwise .

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ABELIA

With different sizes and manikin to choose from , here are some tips to consider :

For borders and landscapes:

Choose varieties that will fit the scale of your landscape painting . Use as hedging , screening , in a mixed border , as foundation planting or a stand - alone focal stop . check that to allow room for plants to mature without becoming crowded .

For slopes and hillsides:

Select varieties desirable to the size of your property and mass along a side or hillside for erosion control .

For containers:

Dwarf type will stay little and not drown a space . Use as a stand - alone focal head in a container , or group with other containerized plants for maximum visual impingement .

ABELIA PICTURES

Photo by : Proven Winners

Funshine ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersAbeliaxgrandiflora

Zones:6 - 9Height / Spread : Dwarf , heavyset habit , 2 to 3 foot improbable and wideExposure : Full sunshine to partial shadeBloom Time : former summertime to other fallColor : New leave of absence emerge with whole step of yellow , orangeness and caramel , get on to a chartreuse - light-green hue , with wan lavender flower .

Funshine Abelia Plant, Abelia Grandiflora
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Flowers are gently fragrant . The compact size of it is ideal for containers , as low hedge , or massed in the landscape painting .

Brilliantina ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersAbeliaxgrandiflora

Zones:6 - 9Height / Spread : mound use , 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wideExposure : Full sun to partial shadeBloom Time : Late spring to early fallColor : Yellow and green variegate leave , easy pinkish flowers

Funshine Abelia Plant, Abelia Grandiflora
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Brilliantina ® abelia offers a tidy pattern , fragrant light pink blossom , and vivacious foliage for three seasons of interest group . Heat - liberal and low - maintenance , it ’s perfect for the middle of the border .

Poco Loco ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersAbeliaxgrandiflora

Zones:6 - 9Height / Spread : mound habit , 2 to 3 feet grandiloquent and wideExposure : Full Sunday to partial shadeBloom fourth dimension : Late spring to former fallColor : Spring foliage is bright yellow and orangish , maturing to greenish with pinkish fresh growth and gentle pinkish flower .

Funshine Abelia Plant, Abelia Grandiflora
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Poco Loco ® abelia is a compact , mound shrub that delivers big impingement in a small size , growing just 2 - 3 feet tall . It ’s heat - tolerant , cervid - resistant , and attract butterflies and hummingbird all season long .

Tres Amigos ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersAbelia grandiflora

Zones:6 - 9Height / Spread : Mounding habit , 2 to 3 feet marvelous , 2 to 5 feet wideExposure : Full Sunday to partial shadeBloom clip : summertime through fallColor : Tri - colour leaf ( green , pink , and yellow ) , with fragrant ashen flowers .

Funshine Abelia Plant, Abelia Grandiflora
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Tres Amigos ® abelia offers vivacious tri - color foliage that changes with the time of year , follow by long - blossom and fragrant blank flowers . Its succinct drug abuse makes it various and leisurely to incorporate into many garden styles .

Mucho Gusto ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersAbeliaxgrandiflora

Zones:6 - 9Height / Spread : mound use , 24 to 42 inches magniloquent , 36 to 60 inch wideExposure : Partial to full sunBloom Time : SummerColor : motley foliage , white flowers .

An easy - care variegated abelia that is a strong grower . It ’s fragrant white-hot peak appeal bees and butterflies .

Sweet Emotion ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersAbelia mosanensis

Zones:4 - 8Height / Spread : Upright habit , 5 to 6 foot marvellous and wideExposure : Full sun to partial shadeBloom Time : Mid to late springColor : Green leaf , orangish - cerise dusk gloss . pinkish bud open to white flowers .

One of the hardiest deciduous varieties , it blooms on one-time wood and should be softly pruned after blossom . calendered green leaf turn fervent Orange River - red in fall . Plant as a hedge , in borders , or near entrances to enjoy the jasmine - similar aroma .

Photo by : Aykut Alakoc / Shutterstock

‘ Kaleidoscope’Abeliaxgrandiflora

Zones:6 - 9Height / Spread : Upright spread out habit , 2 to 3 metrical foot tall and 3 to 4 feet wideExposure : Full sun to partial shadeBloom Time : Late fountain through fallColor : New green leaf with yellow edges twist Au in summer , then torrid red in evenfall and wintertime . White flower bloom on red stems .

‘ Kaleidoscope ’ offers yr - beat color with ever - changing leaf and is the longest flower variety . Its midget size suits small spaces , container , or batch plantings .

Photo by : Gurcharan Singh / Shutterstock

‘ Radiance’Abeliaxgrandiflora

Zones:6 - 9Height / Spread:2 to 3 feet grandiloquent and 3 to 4 feet wideExposure : Full Dominicus to fond shadeBloom Time : Mid - summer to early fallColor : New farewell are green with pale yellow gross profit , aging to silver - green edged with cream . White flowers are born on red stems , while the brilliant foliage lights up partially shaded arena .

plant life as hedge , massed in a landscape , in container , or as a base planting .

Photo by : Tim Ludwig / Millette Photomedia

‘ Edward Goucher’Abeliahybrid

Zones:6 - 9Height / Spread : mound compact habit , 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 groundwork wideExposure : Full sun to partial shadeBloom Time : Mid - summer through mid - fallColor : Lavender - pinkish bloom , cerise stems and sepals . Green leafage turn bronze in descent . Showy rose - pink bloom contrast dramatically with the Burgundy wine - red sepal and stem .

blossom on new woodwind , so prune as want in late winter or early give . Plant as showing or as a foundation planting .

LANDSCAPING TIPS

There are many way to comprise abelia into your landscape . Here ’s how :