Weigela’s are easy-to-grow lovely shrubs with handsome tubular flowers. Both leaves and flowers make a bright splash in the garden. We’ve curated a distinctive and colorful variety for you from Proven Winners®.
Pronounced way· guh· luh and originally from China, the first weigela discovered for western nurseries was by Robert Fortune in 1845. They had been grown in gardens in China and Japan for centuries. Weigela is one of the convenient cases where the common name is also the scientific name. Although there are other Weigela species, most garden plants are varieties of Weigela florida. Related to honeysuckles, they have similarly beautiful, pollinator-friendly flowers.
Weigelas are hardy perennial shrubs. They naturally grow in a neat, compact habit about five feet high and five feet wide or choose a dwarf variety that you can prune to your preferred size. They grow delightfully quickly. The leaves are dense, so they make excellent hedges or focal points, especially with several planted together. They can be gorgeous growing in containers, too. In late spring into summer, weigelas produce a riot of bright flowers.
Robert Fortune would be amazed at the variety you can find in today’s weigelas. The Chinese plants had medium green leaves and pinkish flowers. Today, you can get leaves in colors from golden to red to nearly black, as well as green, and leaves variegated in dramatic patterns and colors. Flowers are more varied too: white, yellow, and shades from pale pink to deep red.
All weigelas are attractive to pollinators, from bees to hummingbirds. Flowering lasts an extended period in late spring and summer, and some varieties will bloom again toward fall.
They do best in full sun to partial shade. Weigelas prefer moist, well-drained soils but tolerate clay. They are deciduous shrubs that are hardy to USDA Zone 4 or 5 depending on the variety. They will grow surprisingly well in polluted air and so are ideal for urban gardens. The colorful leaves are deer-, insect-, and fungus-resistant. The main form of maintenance needed is pruning to manage the size or shape of the shrub.
Choosing among these Proven Winners® would be very difficult:
Weigela Midnight Sun™ grows compactly reaching to, at most, two feet high, densely covered in shiny, intense orange and bright red leaves. The flowers are pink.
Weigela Midnight Wine Shine™ grows, at most, two feet high, spreading to two feet wide, with leaves that are such a dark burgundy shade they seem almost black. It has numerous pretty pink flowers.
Weigela My Monet Purple Effect™ grows to, at most, two feet high, spreading to two feet wide. Its leaves are variegated in cream, pink and green, with a touch of purple. It has rosy-pink flowers, often a lot of them.
Weigela Very Fine Wine™ grows under three feet tall and equally wide, with stunning dark purple leaves. It produces lots of rose-pink flowers in late spring.
Weigela Sonic Bloom Pure Pink™ grows five feet high and five wide. It has handsome green leaves and glorious two-toned pink flowers. Unlike most varieties, it will bloom a second time in the fall.
Weigela Vinho Verde™ grows five feet high and five wide, with dramatic leaves: they are lime green with a black border. The flowers are reddish pink but are generally upstaged by the leaves.
Weigela Wine & Spirits™ grows five feet high and five wide, with leaves so dark green they seem black and dozens of striking white flowers.
