Description of Weigela Wine & Roses
Weigela has long been a favorite shrub in cottage and other styles of home gardens. "Wine & Roses," a fairly new cultivar that won a Pennsylvania Horticulture Society Gold Medal in 2000, brings a new foliage color to mixed shrubbery and functions equally well as a specimen plant, blooming abundantly in mid- to late spring and again, with care, during the summer. Burgundy leaves darken as summer progresses, and its medium size and exhuberant growth make it an excellent addition to any yard. Does this Spark an idea?
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Origins
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Weigela exists in 10 to 12 varieties, all of which have their origins in east Asia. From these members of the Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle) family, more than 100 cultivars have been developed, and many nurseries routinely carry several cultivars. Parent plants arrived in Europe in the 1840s and in the U.S. before the end of the 19th century. Weigela shares trumpet-shaped flowers with its honeysuckle relatives, but both old and new varieties lack strong fragrance.
Breeding for Variety
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Although relatively low in maintenance, weigela fell out of favor and became equated with old-fashioned gardening in the mid- to late 1900s. A single spring show of predictably pink and white flowers, followed by uniformly matte green foliage until fall, made weigela seem predictable and a bit dull. Hybridizers revisited weigela in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Results include flowers in hues from creamy white to hot pink and brilliant red. Some new varieties bloom a second time after a major spring flowering. In the case of "Wine & Roses," blooms are a distinctive hot pink. Foliage has expanded to the burgundies and purples of "Wine & Roses" and "Midnight Wine," the bronze of "Dark Horse," the chartreuse of "Ghost" and the white-and-green variegated leaves of "My Monet."
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The New "Old-Fashioned Weigelas"
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The new weigelas share the best strengths of the family. They grow best in a neutral-to-acidic soil but will tolerate other soil types, so long as they are well-drained. Weigela can tolerate occasional dryness but does badly if growing in chronically wet soil. Full sun contributes to the strong colors of both foliage and flowers, although weigela can be grown in dappled or partial shade. "Wine & Roses" adapts to USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9 and AHS heat zones 9 through 5. This profile translates into the suitability of weigela throughout the American South and Middle West and north as far as states known for consistently harsh winters. Weigelas have only rare pest or disease problems.
"Wine & Roses" as a First Choice
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At approximately 4 to 5 feet tall, "Wine & Roses" fits in the midrange of weigelas. Arching branches and multiple stems can lead to a fountain shape without pruning, but selective clipping can bring the shrub back into control without damaging next year's bloom if pruning is done as soon as flowers have withered. Weigela does not respond well to stringent or formal pruning. Pruned to a natural shape, it might reward you with a second bloom during the summer.
Other Appealing "Wine & Roses" Features
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The burgundy foliage and hot pink blooms characterizing "Wine & Roses" are a combination hard to find in other shrubs. Blooms are described as "abundant" and "profuse" and are attractive to pollinators of all sorts, but especially attractive to nectar-seeking hummingbirds and butterflies. Easy to care for and exhuberant in display, "Wine & Roses" will make a strong and cheerful statement in the yards of both beginning and experienced gardeners.
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References
- Photo Credit weigelia image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
