Weigela

This long time favorite of the Midwest Garden is very adaptable. Clusters of trumpet flowers that attract hummingbirds cover the bushes in spring and early summer. Weigela has typically been grown for its’ spectacular summer flower show, but new cultivars with interesting and variegated foliage provides out of bloom interest to the garden.

Weigela Weigela florida ‘Dark Horse’

  • Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-8

  • Light Requirements: Full Sun

  • Water Requirements: Requires regular weekly watering, more often in intense heat or drought.

  • Mature Height:2- 3 feet

  • Mature Spread: 2-3 feet

  • Shape: Low spreading

  • Growth Rate: Moderate

  • Soil Preference: Prefers well drained soil but is adaptable. Will tolerate clay soil.

  • Foliage: Dark purple black glossy leaves

  • Blooms: Purple pink 1 1/2 inch tubular flowers

  • Fruit: None

  • Disease and Insects: Good resistance to pests and disease

  • Fertilize: Apply a balanced or slow release fertilizer in early spring.

  • Pruning: Prune after blooming

Deep purple pink blooms cover this Weigela from April to June. The flowers are striking against the most intense deep colored foliage. This compact Weigela rarely needs pruning. If shaping is desired prune after blooming as profuse blooms are produced on old wood. New wood will produce sporadic blooms. The tubular flowers attract hummingbirds as well as butterflies and other pollinators.

Perfect for smaller gardens, ‘Dark Horse’ is a small version of ‘Wine and Roses’. This dark Weigela lokks wonderful in front of light lime or yellow foliage or walls or to punctuate and entrance. ‘Dark Horse’ is extremely low maintenance with superior foliage and flower coloring.

Weigela Weigela floridata ‘My Monet’

  • Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-6

  • Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Sun

  • Water Requirements: Average

  • Mature Height: 12-18 inches

  • Mature Spread: 18-24 inches

  • Shape: Mounded, compact

  • Growth Rate: Slow

  • Soil Preference: Prefers a well drained soil, adaptable and will tolerate clay soil

  • Foliage: Green and white variegated foliage

  • Blooms: 1 1/2 inch bright pink tubular blooms in spring

  • Fruit: None

  • Disease and Insects: Deer Resistant, resists disease and insect problems

  • Fertilize: Apply a balanced fertilizer lightly in early spring and in fall.

  • Pruning: Rarely if ever needs pruning. Prune just after blooms fade if necessary

‘My Monet’ is a very low maintenance compact dwarf shrub that remains small without pruning. New spring leaves are tinged with bright pink, with green, white and pink variegation all season. In full sun variegation will tend more pink, in light shade it will tend more white. ‘My Monet’ will go dormant a tad early causing browning leaves as it prepares for winter.

This dwarf Weigela is perfect for perennial and shrub borders, front layer of foundation plantings, even container planting (use at least a 3 gallon container and transplant to the ground in fall). Bright tubular flowers attract hummingbirds as well as butterflies and pollinators. ‘My Monet’ is the first dwarf variegated Weigela, a sport of Weigela florida ‘Tango’.

Weigela Weigela florida ‘Red Prince’

  • Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-8

  • Light Requirements: Full Sun

  • Water Requirements: Regular weekly water required

  • Mature Height: 5-6 feet

  • Mature Spread: 5-6 feet

  • Shape: Compact rounded

  • Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast

  • Soil Preference: Prefers good drainage. Adaptable, tolerates clay soil

  • Foliage: Deep green glossy leaves, oblong 4 1/2 inch long

  • Blooms: Deep cardinal red tubular flowers late spring through summer

  • Fruit: None

  • Disease and Insects: Resistant to deer. Resistant to insects and disease.

  • Fertilize: Apply all purpose balanced plant food

  • Pruning: Prunes well to maintain size

‘Red Prince’ makes a striking statement in your gardens or landscape with bold red tubular blooms against deep green glossy foliage. In spring 1 1/2 inch radiant trumpet flowers will cover the shrub. Blooms reappear late in summer on new growth. The brilliant blooms last for weeks and will be encouraged by regular fertilizing. Hummingbirds love 'Red Prince’ blooms, as well as butterflies and other pollinators.

Perfect showstopper in a shrub border, statement shrub, foundation planting or mass plantings. ‘Red Prince’ prunes well to maintain a compact size. In ideal conditions ‘Red Prince’ may reach as high and wide as 9 feet. Be careful to prune AFTER the first blooms fade as it will bloom best on last year’s stems. Pruning at any other time will diminish the next flush of blooms. Plant in full sun for best blooming and foliage color, but it will tolerate very light shade.

Weigela Weigela florida ‘Bokrasopea’ Sonic Bloom Series Pearl

  • Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-8

  • Light Requirements: Full Sun, Part Sun

  • Water Requirements: Once established rarely needs watering except in warm regions.

  • Mature Height: 4-5 feet

  • Mature Spread: 4-5 feet

  • Shape: Upright

  • Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast

  • Soil Preference: Prefers well drained soil. Adaptable, tolerates clay soil

  • Foliage: Large bright green leaves

  • Blooms: White blooms changing to pale pink

  • Fruit: None

  • Disease and Insects: Resistant to deer. Resistant to insects and disease.

  • Fertilize: Apply all purpose balanced plant food in early spring

  • Pruning: Prunes well to maintain size

Sonic Bloom Pearl reblooms from early spring until frost without deadheading, blooming on both old wood and new. If pruning is desired to maintain size or shape, prune immediately after the first spring bloom period. The Sonic Bloom series are the most prolific bloomers of the Weigela.

Growth habit is somewhat upright with slightly arching brances, so this taller Weigela is an excellent choice for a flowering hedge along a drive, to define a border planting or for the back row of a foundation planting.

Weigela Weigela florida ‘Spilled Wine’

  • Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-8

  • Light Requirements: Full Sun

  • Water Requirements: Average. Once well established will require little supplemental watering other than in hot dry regions or drought.

  • Mature Height: 2-3 feet

  • Mature Spread: 2-3 feet

  • Shape: Compact, roughly rounded

  • Growth Rate: Moderate

  • Soil Preference: Prefers well drained soil but is adaptable.

  • Foliage: Purple black glossy leaves

  • Blooms: Bright magenta 1 1/2 inch tubular flowers

  • Fruit: None

  • Disease and Insects: Good resistance to pests and disease. Resists deer and rabbits.

  • Fertilize: Apply a balanced or slow release fertilizer in early spring.

  • Pruning: Pruning is rarely necessary, prune after blooming if desired to shape the plant.

Like the classic ‘Wine and Roses’, ‘Spilled Wine has the great deep purple foliage that sets off the bright pink blooms so well. However ‘Spilled Wine’ is small enough for edging your perennial beds and walkways and of course at the front of a foundation planting. Growth form is usually a bit wider than tall in an irregular mound.

The hot pink tubular flowers attract hummingbirds as well as butterflies and other pollinators. Blooms appear in early spring and continue into early summer. Wavy edged purple black foliage holds it’s color better than the older “wine” cultivars. As a matter of fact as the summer warms the foliage color becomes its’ most intense as an eggplant purple.

Weigela Weigela florida ‘Wine and Roses’

  • Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-8

  • Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Shade

  • Water Requirements: Average. Once well established will require little supplemental watering other than in hot dry regions or drought.

  • Mature Height: 4-5 feet

  • Mature Spread: 4-5 feet

  • Shape: Compact, roughly rounded

  • Growth Rate: Moderate

  • Soil Preference: Prefers well drained soil but is adaptable.

  • Foliage: Burgundy black glossy leaves

  • Blooms: Rosy pink 1 1/2 inch tubular flowers

  • Fruit: None

  • Disease and Insects: Good resistance to pests and disease

  • Fertilize: Apply a balanced or slow release fertilizer in early spring.

  • Pruning: Prune after blooming

'Wine and Roses'  has wonderful foliage in dark burgundy that shimmers like wind.  Bright rosy pink blooms create a contrasting display against the dark leaves. Blooms appear in early spring and remain into summer, approximately from April to June.  The bright tubular blooms attract hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators. In late summer the leaf color intensifies to a deep burgundy-black.  Foliage reaches its’ most intense color in full sun.   

‘Wine and Roses’ is an easy low maintenance shrub. It prunes well if necessary to shape or maintain size but blooms best on old wood., so prune immediately after flowering. It will still produce sporadic blooms on the current season’s growth.

ShrubsSharon Dwyer