Abelia plants are an excellent addition to any garden. With their vibrant foliage long bloom times and disease resistance, abelia offer unique benefits for gardeners seeking an easy-care, pollinator-friendly plant. In this article, we’ll explore why abelia should be a part of your garden plan and how to grow them successfully.
Abelia is a genus of around 30 species of flowering shrubs, both deciduous and evergreen. They are admired for their brightly-colored, glossy leaves that range from yellow to deep green to variegated patterns From summer through fall, abelia produces delicate tubular flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds With proper care, some abelia varieties can bloom up to 10 months a year!
While they originated in eastern Asia, abelia grow well across USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9. They thrive in full sun to partial shade and prefer acidic, well-draining soil. Abelia is prized in gardens for its versatility – it can be grown as a low hedge, planted en masse in borders, or used as an accent plant. Its compact size also makes it ideal for containers.
Key Benefits of Growing Abelia
Attracts Pollinators
Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds flock to the nectar-rich blooms of abelia. Planting abelia provides needed food and habitat for these essential pollinators. A garden full of abelia turns into a lively pollinator paradise!
Low-Maintenance & Durable
Once established, abelia requires little care to continue thriving. It is drought and heat tolerant, so it won’t need much watering or pruning to flourish. Abelia’s resilience also makes it deer and rabbit resistant. This durable, no-fuss plant is perfect for beginner gardeners.
Long Bloom Season
Few shrubs can match the length of abelia’s bloom time. When grown in ideal conditions, certain abelia varieties will produce flowers nonstop from early summer through fall. The long bloom season provides color in the garden for months.
Year-Round Interest
Between the flowers, fragrance, and colorful foliage, abelia offers multi-season appeal. The glossy green leaves of evergreen abelia varieties persist through winter, while deciduous types provide fall color before going dormant. Early spring growth emerges reddish-bronze on some types.
Compact Size
Abelia maintains a compact, mounded shape that seldom exceeds 5 feet tall and wide. Unlike other flowering shrubs, it won’t outgrow its space in just a few seasons. The petite size makes abelia suitable for planting in beds, borders, and containers.
Fragrant Flowers
Many abelia varieties emit a light, sweet fragrance from their blooms. Plant it along walkways or patios where visitors can enjoy the pleasant aroma. The honey-like scent also lures pollinators.
Adaptability
From a dependable foundation hedge to a low-maintenance container plant, abelia fits diverse garden roles. It can be sheared for formal shapes or allowed to grow freely. Abelia’s versatility and wide growing range give it broad appeal for all garden styles.
How to Grow Abelia
Planting
When planting abelia in the ground, choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining soil. Dig a hole 2-3 times the width of the root ball and set the plant at the same level it was growing in the nursery pot. Backfill soil around root ball and water thoroughly.
For containers, use a soil mix designed for pots and include drainage holes. Pick a container width 8 inches larger than the root ball so the roots have room to expand.
Watering
Water abelia deeply at planting and provide weekly water during the first year. Once established, abelia is quite drought tolerant but may need occasional watering during dry spells. Container plants need more frequent watering to prevent drying out.
Fertilizing
In early spring, feed abelia with a balanced slow-release fertilizer or organic plant food. This will stimulate healthy growth and flowering.
Pruning
Prune abelia after flowering in spring to shape and tidy growth. To rejuvenate overgrown plants, cut back by 1/3 to 1/2 in late winter. For hedges, shear as needed during summer to maintain shape.
Pest Control
Abelia is resistant to most pests and diseases. Aphids, scale, and spider mites may occur but can be controlled by horticultural oil or insecticidal soap sprays. Avoid over-fertilizing and improper pruning cuts that stress plants.
Overwintering
Protect abelia in zones 5-6 with a winter mulch. Evergreen types may show cold damage on leaves, which can be pruned off in spring. Some dieback is normal on deciduous varieties.
Ideal Abelia Varieties
There are many excellent abelia cultivars to choose from:
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Edward Goucher – Vigorous grower with fragrant, pale pink blooms and deep green foliage that takes on purple hues in fall.
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Francis Mason – Compact type that flowers heavily with a spicy fragrance. Variegated leaves emerge copper-orange.
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Kaleidoscope – Distinctive yellow, green, and cream variegated leaves with pink tube-shaped flowers.
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Rose Creek – Dense growth habit with glossy dark green leaves and masses of pink-tinged white blooms.
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Canyon Creek – Eye-catching golden yellow foliage lights up the garden. Pink flowers contrast nicely.
Give Abelia a Spot in Your Garden
For a low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly shrub that blooms through the seasons, look no further than abelia. Its vibrant evergreen leaves and resilient nature provide year-round beauty and rewards for gardeners. Able to thrive in diverse conditions, abelia is a natural choice for gardens across many regions. Any of the outstanding abelia varieties are sure to beautify your outdoor space with minimal care required.
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Amsonia hubrectiiArkansas Blue Star
- Category Perennial
- Winner for 2009
- Hardiness Zone 4 to 10
- Conditions Full Sun to Part Shade
Arkansas Blue Star is a clumping herbaceous perennial, reaching 3 feet tall and wide. Numerous upright shoots bearing thread-like leaves emerge from the base and have a delicate, feather-like appearance. In spring, light-blue star-shaped flowers with yellow center are borne along the upper portions of the stem and persist three to four weeks. The early flowers are the most visible, while the foliage often masks those formed later.
The real show begins in fall when the foliage turns golden yellow and literally glows when the sun strikes it. It’s a showstopper when planted in groups of three or more plants and backed up by taller evergreens, ornamental grasses or plants with burgundy foliage. After the fall display, the foliage turns brown but continues to add winter interest in the landscape.
- Category Annual
- Winner for 2009
- Hardiness
- Conditions Full Sun
The flowers of Summer Snapdragon look a lot like those of its cousin, the winter snapdragon. Summer Snapdragons are available in a wide range of colors, including white, rose, lilac, violet, blue and many shades in between. Some cultivars have speckled or bicolor flowers. Flowering occurs over an eight- to 10-week period in summer, peaking in June and July.
Plants have a bushy growth habit. They are quite vigorous and may flop over in late summer. If this happens, cut them back to stimulate new growth and additional blooms in fall. Flower spikes consist of about a dozen flowers, each approximately 1-inch across. They open in sequence from the bottom of the spike upward. The flowers hold up well in floral arrangements.
- Category Perennial
- Winner for 2010
- Hardiness Zone 3 to 9
- Conditions Full Sun to Part Shade
Butterfly Weed is one weed you will want in your landscape – because it is a butterfly magnet! Its leaves are the preferred food source for the larvae of several species of butterflies, including Monarchs; and the flowers provide nectar for both butterflies and hummingbirds. The brilliant orange flowers brighten a perennial border and provide a striking contrast to purple coneflower, blue salvia, Persian shield and other summer favorites.|Butterfly Weed is a member of the milkweed family. From June to September, flat-top clusters of bright orange to yellow-orange flowers are borne on terminal stems. They hold up well in cut flower arrangements.
- Category Georgia Native
- Winner for 2014
- Hardiness
- Conditions Full Sun
Zephyranthes are native throughout the Americas. Atamasco Lily is the Zephyranthes that is native to Georgia, found in moist forests, bottomlands, seepy areas around rock outcrops, wet pastures and roadsides. Give it moisture and full sun and it will fit nicely into the home landscape. Appearing in March and April the show of flowers rise above the grass like foliage and is always a sweet surprise after a rain.
- Category Perennial
- Winner for 1996
- Hardiness Zone 3 to 9
- Conditions Full Sun to Part Shade
Wild Indigo is a member of the legume or pea family, producing flowers resembling the garden pea and sweet pea. Flower color varies from deep blue to creamy yellow or pure white. The flowers are borne near the tips of grey-green branches having three-lobed leaves. Flowers are followed by black seed pods that provide summer interest in the landscape. Plants may reach five feet high with an equal spread. They die down after the first killing frost and remain dormant until spring.
Wild Indigo does best in full sun and well-drained soils. Plants grown in partial shade may grow large and require staking to hold them upright. They are ideal as background plants in a perennial border where they have room to grow. Plants grow in clumps, spreading slowly outward from the parent planting, but they are not invasive. Dividing the clump every two to three years during the fall will result in additional plants for the garden or for sharing with friends.
Geranium Rozanne Cranesbill Hardy Geranium
- Category Perennial
- Winner for 2008
- Hardiness Zone 5 to 8
- Conditions Full Sun to Part Shade
Rozanne Cranesbill Hardy Geranium grows in a well-rounded mound to a height of 18 to 20 inches and from late May until frost, the plant produces an abundance of blue-violet flowers with pale centers, approximately 2½ inches across. Attractive, deeply-lobed foliage turns brownish-red in fall and is quite showy.|This plant is a vigorous grower and is likely to decline in bloom during mid-summer when the sprawling foliage competes for the plant’s energy. At that time, a light shearing will encourage new growth and more flowers to brighten the fall landscape. After the first frost, cut back the plant and mulch it with leaves to provide a warm winter rest. Use Rozanne Cranesbill Hardy Geranium in perennial borders, rock gardens or decorative containers.
- Category Perennial
- Winner for 1999
- Hardiness Zone 4 to 9
- Conditions Shade
Lenten rose is a “tough as nails” perennial plant Georgia gardeners have quietly loved for more than 100 years. It never got much fanfare but was always welcome as a gift or pass-along plant. Sometimes called Christmas rose, Lenten rose heralds spring. It blooms in midwinter and bounces back consistently each year regardless of the previous season’s hardships.
Its blooms are white, pink, plum, green, magenta and many pastel shades in between. Once the flowers fade, the foliage seems to darken, providing a glossy, evergreen ground cover year-round.
- Category Perennial
- Winner for 2012
- Hardiness Zone 4 to 9
- Conditions
- Category Perennial
- Winner for 2007
- Hardiness Zone 6 to 9
- Conditions Full Sun to Part Shade
Swamp Hibiscus is a perfect choice for water gardens, pond edges, rain gardens or other moist, sunny sites. But you don’t have to live in a swamp to enjoy Swamp Hibiscus. It will grow and thrive in normal garden soil as well if you can provide it adequate moisture. From late spring until frost, they produce blood-red flowers 3 to 5 inches across on side shoots and terminals.
To encourage re-blooming, deadhead spent flowers before they form seedpods or prune plants back by one-third after a flush of bloom. In the northern half of Georgia, Swamp Hibiscus freezes back to the ground in winter and re-sprouts in spring. Cut old stems back to the ground in late winter to rejuvenate the plant and make way for new growth.
- Category Shrub
- Winner for 1995
- Hardiness Zone 3 to 9
- Conditions Part Shade
This Georgia Gold Medal Award Winner is a magnificent June-July flowering shrub ideally suited to shady, moist areas of the garden. The plant averages three to five feet in height, 4 to 6 feet in width. Flowers develop on new growth of the season, so pruning should be initiated before new growth occurs. Regardless of methodology, abundant flowers will be formed at the end of the shoots.
The green buds are generally evident in May to early June and pass through the apple green (‘Granny Smith’) color to white, again light green, and age to straw brown.A second flowering occurs in August-September, but the flowers are smaller. The medium to dark green leaves may develop respectable lemon-yellow fall color when environmental conditions are perfect.
- Category Shrub
- Winner for 2010
- Hardiness Zone 4 to 8
- Conditions Full Sun to Part Shade
Light up your landscape with Limelight Panicle Hydrangea. Its large, chartreuse flower clusters set the summer landscape aglow and are sure to be the envy of neighbors and friends.
In July, creamy white flower clusters, up to 8 inches across, emerge on strong, upright stems. As flower clusters mature, their color changes from creamy white to chartreuse in summer, rosy pink in fall, and beige in winter. They can be harvested fresh or dried and used in floral arrangements. If left on the plant, they will persist all winter on the tips of naked stems.
SHRUB OF THE WEEK • ABELIA KOLEIDOSCOPE
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