Weigela florida
Weigela
Common names: Common Weigela
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Pruning
- Jun–Jul
- Flowering
- May–Jun
Photo: Emőke Dénes · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The Weigela (botanical name Weigela florida) is a hardy ornamental shrub suitable for streambanks and hedges. It blooms from mid‑May to early June (week 20 to 23) in full glory. The funnel‑shaped flowers range from delicate pink to deep purple‑red, depending on the cultivar such as ‘Bristol Ruby’ or ‘Red Prince’, and reliably attract bees and bumblebees. As a summer‑green, old‑wood flowering shrub it grows 1.5 to 2.5 m tall and wide, making it useful as a loose screen hedge. The plant is easy to care for, winter hardy, and tolerates both urban climates and typical garden soils well.
Care instructions
Plant the shrub in a sunny to partially shaded spot with well‑drained, humus‑rich soil; full sun yields the most abundant flowering. Prune immediately after flowering, because the plant sets its next year’s buds in late summer; cutting in spring will reduce bloom. Every three to four years remove some of the oldest low‑lying shoots to keep the shrub open and vigorous. Water newly planted specimens regularly; established plants handle normal rainfall well. A mulch layer in spring keeps the root zone moist and suppresses competing vegetation.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringMay–Jun
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, loamy
Weigela likes loose, humus-rich garden soil that holds moisture without becoming waterlogged. A nutrient-rich, slightly loamy soil with good drainage is ideal. On heavy, compacted soils it is worth adding some compost or sand when planting.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Mar, May
In early spring, work a portion of mature compost or well-rotted manure in around the root area; that is usually enough for the whole season. After flowering in May, you can top up weak-growing shrubs once more with horn shavings. A mulch of leaves or bark humus holds moisture and releases nutrients as a bonus.
Pruning
Prune weigela straight after flowering in June or July, because it flowers on the previous year's wood. Remove spent and older, bare shoots close to the ground so the shrub stays open and well ventilated. Pruning in spring or winter, on the other hand, costs you a large part of the next flowering.
Overwintering
Weigela is easily hardy in most locations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and needs no special protection. Young, newly planted shrubs appreciate a mulch layer over the root area in the first one to two winters. In very exposed, windy locations, horticultural fleece around the branches can protect young shoots from frost desiccation.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- Layering
Propagation is easiest with hardwood cuttings or semi-ripe cuttings, which you take in summer after flowering. Insert the shoots into free-draining seed substrate and keep them evenly moist until they form roots after a few weeks. Alternatively, a low-lying branch can be mounded up as a layer and roots there over one to two years before you separate it and transplant it. Sowing makes little sense with cultivars, since the offspring seldom come true to variety.
For your garden
Grow Weigela yourself
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