Weigela is a deciduous flowering shrub that adds beautiful colour to the landscape. They have bright coloured flowers and attractive foliage throughout the season. There are several varieties that have been around for a while but this year we are adding three new varieties that will soon be available in the garden centre that I am excited about. They are Weigela Florida ‘Sonic Bloom’ Pink, ‘Sonic Bloom’ Red, and ‘Wings of Fire’.

Weigela florida ‘Sonic Bloom’ Pink and Weigela florida ‘Sonic Bloom’ Red are reblooming Weigelas, which means that the plant is going to bloom for weeks. It will bloom first in the spring and then again in midsummer, without any deadheading. As the name suggests, the Sonic Bloom Pink weigela produces hot pink buds that open up to pink flowers and the Sonic Bloom Red weigela has red flowers. The tubular flowers that grow in clusters along the length of the arching branches are a favourite for hummingbirds. The foliage is green, and deer resistant. They are a compact , dense plant that can grow up to 1.2 -1.5 meters tall and wide.

The other new weigela ‘Wings of Fire’ is also a very colourful plant, as it has very colourful foliage. As the season progresses the wide leaved, foliage, becomes darker and more colourful. In the spring the leaves start off in a soft red colour and slowly get redder and brighter so that by the end of the summer they are a dark red. It produces one flush of pink flowers for early summer colour. The ‘Wings of Fire’ weigela is a good sized flowering shrub, growing 1.2 – 1.5 meters tall and wide.

Weigelas are not hard to grow.

They grow best in a sunny location, in a slightly protected area, away from harsh winter winds. They prefer a moist, well drained soil, however they are adaptable to other soil types. It is a low maintenance plant that does not need a lot of work and is rarely bothered by pest or disease. When you first plant it, you will need to give it some extra attention, as the roots become established, by giving it water during any dry spells, but after that it grows quite easily. They require very little to no pruning but if you are going to prune a weigela, prune it after the first flush of blooms are finished. To keep plants healthy, fertilize with a flowering tree and shrub fertilizer following the directions on the container.

Plant weigelas in the landscape either in groups, hedges, mixed plantings, or as a feature plant. I plan on planting at least one or two in my landscape at home to give my yard some seasonal colour!

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knap Home and Garden Centres in Prince George:

Highway 16 west at Kimball Road

Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road