Weigelas are our Plant of the Week this week. This shrub has shiny leaves, blooms on new growth, and is very durable and long-lived. As a shrub, it can be shaped into hedges or rounded into balls, or you can simply let it grow.
While there are many cultivars of weigelas, we at Grimm’s like the Sonic Bloom series and those with dark or variegated leaves. I have one customer with an older variety that is over 12 feet tall. Most cultivars grow between 3 and 6 feet tall and wide.
Weigelas can handle some part shade or full sun conditions. They prefer well-drained soils but adapt easily into heavy clay soils. They can even handle some standing water for short periods.
The flowers of weigelas bloom on new growth, so they can be cut down hard in the spring, or shaped to your desire. They are attractive to a wide assortment of bees and insects, and I have seen hummingbirds on them too. https://www.audubon.org/content/how-create-hummingbird-friendly-yard
Bloom time begins in May and June and will continue sporadically through September. If you cut the plant back by 1/3 in July, it will usually rebloom.
I like weigela Sonic Bloom because they are medium-sized shrubs with funnel-shaped flowers that bloom from early summer into fall. It is a must-have in the garden for hummingbird lovers – Paul Kiekhaefer, Landscape Designer at Grimm’s Gardens
You can find weigela cultivars at http://www.grimmsgardens.com/shop/ or our garden centers. Our main garden center is located at 2991 Goldfinch Road, Hiawatha, KS. We also have a location in Nebraska City, NE.
Happy planting!
