Weigela florida
Old Fashioned Weigela
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
Average mature size of 6-10' tall and 9-12' wide. A spreading, dense, rounded shrub, w/ branches arching to the ground. Growth rate is moderate to fast.
Native Range
Native to Japan, Korea & northern China. Introduced into cultivation in 1860.
Flower and Fruit Details
Perfect, 1-2" funnel-shaped flowers rosy pink on outside, paler on inside, May to June on short twigs from last year's branches. Borne singly or in clusters in axillary cymes. May continue sparse flowering sporadically in mid-late summer. Fruits are 2-valved, glabrous, 1" capsules of no ornamental value, containing seeds that are unwinged to slightly winged.
Leaf and Bark Features
Deciduous: Leaves are elliptic to ovate-oblong, simple, opposite, 2-4.5" long & 3/4-1 1/2" wide, medium green, acuminate at the tip, finely serrated along the margin, glabrous above except on midrib, pubescent or tomentose on veins beneath. Short petiole, 1/8-1/4" long. No significant fall color. Young twigs have 2 vertical rows of hairs running node to node.
Culture and Care
Transplant bare root or from container into full sun. Does not survive in shade. Die-back often occurs, and pruning after main flowering is necessary. Finish pruning by July 1. Zones 5-8(9). Best in Zones 5-6. Pollution-tolerant, but not drought-tolerant. Prefers a moist, neutral pH, well-drained soil, but is very adaptable, so also tolerates clay soil. Has only slight salt tolerance. No serious disease or insect problems. Occasional viruses, leaf spot diseases, Japanese beetles, plant bugs & crown gall.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
Deer resistant. 3-season interest: Spring, summer & fall. Attracts hummingbirds & butterflies. Genus name honors Christian Ehrenfried Weigel (1748-1831), German professor at the University of Geifswald.
Suggested Uses
Best used on the shrub border, for grouping or massing. Makes a good hedge plant, accent plant or a summer screen. Makes a good border or property margin. Works in containers & as a cut flower.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Weigela florida // Old Fashioned Weigela ("straight species")
Shrub.
Bed 100Weigela florida 'Midnight Wine' // Midnight Wine Old Fashioned Weigela
Shrub. A dwarf, mounded, tidy plant, 12" tall & 24" wide, ideal for the front of the border, or for edging a perennial bed. Nice along walkways. Slow grower. Glossy, dense, metallic, dark burgundy-purple t foliage. Very showy. Good as an accent plant, specimen, container plant or in a mass planting. Serves as a "filler" plant in containers. Could even be used as a groundcover. Needs full to part sun. Prefers moist soils. May not stand up to extended drought & heat in Zones 7-8. Produces a light crop of deep pink flowers in the spring. Needs no pruning. This is a dwarf version of 'Wine & Roses'. From the Proven Winners ® series.
-- not currently in our collection --Weigela florida 'Minuet' // Minuet Old Fashioned Weigela
Shrub. Dwarf, dense, rounded, compact form, 2-3' tall & 3-4' wide. Flowers dark ruby-red on outside, lobes are lilac-purple, & the throat of the flower is yellow. They are slightly fragrant. Foliage is purple-tinged, dark green. Excellent cold hardiness. Flowers are funnel-shaped/tubular, and are 1.5" long. Released by Agricultural Canada. A hybrid cross of W. f. 'Foliis Purpureis' and 'Dropmore Pink'. Turns brown by end of summer in Zone 7-8 gardens if not kept moist and mulched. Very light shade may help in the South. Not drought-tolerant. Zone 4(5)-8. Good low hedge plant, specimen, shrub border, or foundation plant. Reblooms in mid/late summer.
-- not currently in our collection --Weigela florida 'Red Prince' // Red Prince Old Fashioned Weigela
Shrub. Good red, 1 1/3" tubular, fragrant flowers that do not fade, with recurrent flowering in late summer. Flowers are presented against the dark green foliage. A compact, mounding shrub. Average mature size 5-6' tall & wide. Moderate growth rate. Upright, then spreading, dense, rounded habit having coarse branches that eventually arch to the ground. Hardier than 'Newport Red'. More cold-hardy than most. Zone 4-8. Introduced by Iowa State University. Good green foliage and strong stems make this a better choice than many of the older reds like 'Bristol Ruby'. Good flowering hedge, in shrub borders, mass plantings, mixed perennial beds, or in a container.
Bed 101 - Bed 155Weigela florida 'Rumba' // Rumba Old Fashioned Weigela
Shrub. Dark red flowers with a yellow throat, June-September. Vigorous growth rate with a semi-dwarf, compact-spreading, dense, rounded habit, to an average mature size 3' tall and 4' wide. Occasionally grows to 5' tall. Yellow-green leaves with purple edges. Leaves are 3-4" long and half as wide. Flowers are trumpet-shaped, hot pink to dark red, with a yellow throat, 1.75" long. Flowers for 8 or more weeks, off and on, from May to September. Winter hardy. Result of a hybrid cross between W. f. 'Foliis purpureis' and 'Dropmore Scarlet'. Effective when planted in mass or in a naturalized area. Also works in a container or in a perennial bed. Lives about 30 years. Urban tolerant.
Bed 102Weigela florida 'White Knight' // White Knight Old Fashioned Weigela
Shrub. Lovely, large flowers are uniquely both fragrant and pure white. Makes a good hedge or screen, but also good as a cut flower. Also good for borders, property margins and foundation plantings. Spreading, dense, rounded habit, 5-6' tall and wide, with coarse branches that eventually arch to the ground. Foliage is medium green. Tends to sprawl and spread irregularly over time. Introduced by Iowa State University
Bed 101