Welcome to the kingdom of weigela varieties
Luxurious garden weigela bush is an original decoration of summer cottages throughout Russia. It is especially beautiful during flowering. Many bright buds appear on its hanging shoots, collected in inflorescences. What could be more beautiful than a huge bouquet of flowers against the backdrop of a country house? Only the charming weigela.
The shrub owes its name to the German biologist K.E. von Weigel, who first discovered and described it. The plant belongs to the genus of deciduous shrubs, the Honeysuckle family. It was first discovered in the Far East, where it received universal recognition for the extraordinary beauty of the buds. The shrub tends to bloom several times per season with charming bell-shaped inflorescences.
General description of the shrub
An erect weigela bush grows up to 1.5 m in height. Some species can reach about 3 m. The shrub does not release lateral shoots underground, therefore it always has an original shape. On the bent branches, a huge number of elongated leaves, about 12 cm long, grow. The edges of the plate are usually with small notches, the tip of the leaf is sharp. The color is traditionally green, although some species are purple or with a white border.
The inflorescences are tubular, resembling a small funnel. There are single variants and collected in original inflorescences.
The buds bloom on young shoots, amid a large number of leaves.
There are different shades, namely:
- white;
- pink;
- purple;
- light purple;
- pinkish purple;
- red and purple.
The shoots strewn with inflorescences have a pleasant exquisite aroma that creates a unique aura at the summer cottage. A detailed description and photo of the weigela give a complete picture of the magnificent garden shrub for the summer cottage.
The shrub blooms in the last month of spring for almost a whole month. If weigela is properly looked after, you can admire the inflorescences at the end of August. Although there are not so many buds, the bush is still admirable. Flowers grow only on young branches of the current season. A picturesque picture of delicate bells against a background of lush greenery can be contemplated at the dacha during short autumn days. Autumn flowering is clearly visible in this photo of weigela, it is no worse than in the summer.
A journey through the kingdom of popular types of garden shrubs
The luxurious beauty weigela migrated from the Far East to European countries with confident steps. In 1845, the biologist and traveler from Scotland R. Fortune brought her to England, where she took her place of honor. Over time, breeders have developed various species and varieties of eastern bush... Today, there are more than 15 main species and about a hundred varieties of ornamental shrubs.
Weigela blooming
The species was first discovered in Japan and northern China. The shrub was introduced to Europe in the middle of the 19th century and immediately gained unprecedented popularity.Weigela blooming loves sunny or semi-shaded places and grows up to 3 meters in height. Young stems have two rows of fine hairs. They are painted brown, which eventually becomes grayish. The luxurious rounded crown of the plant fits wonderfully into the country landscape, especially during flowering.
Leaves are short-peaked with a pointed tip, usually elliptical in shape. The lateral edges are serrated. The upper part of the plate is smooth, only the main vein in the center of the leaf stands out. They are painted green.
Weigela shrub inflorescences consist of three or four buds, which abundantly cover all the greenery of the plant. They are often pink in color. They open at the end of May and bloom for about 20 days. Then seed pods appear in place of the inflorescences.
To protect the weigela from severe frosts, it is recommended to cover it with dense spruce branches.
Wet, slightly acidic soil is suitable for the plant. But at the same time, you should not allow liquid stagnation under the bush. During the dry period, the plant needs moderate watering. Otherwise, the weigel will start aphid, which sucks juice from leaves and young branches. You can get rid of it by washing off the pests with a strong stream of water and soap. In favorable conditions, it grows rapidly, decorating the backyard of a country house.
In horticultural floriculture, the following varieties of flowering weigela are widely used.
Variety Carnival
Weigela shrub carnival is distinguished by the original color of the buds. At first, they are soft pink, and then they acquire a reddish tint. The bush grows up to 70 cm in height. The branches are decorated with an abundance of oval bright green leaves. It begins to bloom at the end of June for a month.
Nana Variegata
The plant grows up to half a meter, which distinguishes it as a compact version of garden decoration. Weigela Nana Variegata is distinguished by an unusual color of the leaf plate. The main background is soft green, and the graceful edges are yellow, which is especially attractive in the plant. The bush grows up to 90 cm high. It takes root well in western Europe. It tolerates winter wonderfully, but does not like drafts and windy areas. It tolerates poorly lit areas. The bells, about 4 cm in size, are bright pink.
This variety of weigela needs regular spring pruning of old shoots. As a result, the shrub is constantly renewed and blooms continuously for a whole month.
Bristol Ruby
The charming weigela Bristol Ruby was bred by American scientists in 1941. Today it is one of the most popular ornamental shrubs. The plant grows up to 2.5 meters in height. Moreover, its crown can reach 3.5 m in diameter. A large number of succulent green leaves grow on graceful hanging shoots. During the flowering period, ruby bells appear on them. They are collected in loose inflorescences that exude a delicate scent.
If there are few shaded places in the summer cottage, the Bristol Ruby weigela can be safely planted in the sun. Unlike other varieties, it blooms better in open areas.
Weigela Alexandra
A beautifully flowering shrub with a spreading spherical crown grows up to one and a half meters in height. The sheer number of red or pink funnel bells make Alexander's weigela a particularly popular species. Bright buds attract not only the eyes of people, but also miniature birds with a long proboscis, reminiscent of hummingbirds. The flowering period lasts until the end of July. Again, the shrub pleases with flowers in September, if the autumn is warm enough.
Numerous leaves have a glossy surface with jagged edges. In spring, they are painted in burgundy, and in autumn they acquire a purple hue.
The plant prefers partial shade or open areas of the garden. It takes root well on clay soil if it is well drained.
Weigela hybrid
This name of the shrub combines several varieties obtained as a result of the selection of popular species of Weinega. In general, they grow up to 150 cm in height, have a dense, wide crown and fragrant flowers. Weigela hybrid has a different color of buds. It can be white or pink, purple or violet. Hybrid varieties are often used to decorate the landscapes of country houses.
Red prince
The compact, pretty shrub reaches a height of about 1.5 meters. Its broad, spreading crown is decorated with drooping shoots with many bright green leaves. Weigela Red Prince during flowering (May, June) dresses in an original outfit made of bells. They are colored crimson or scarlet. Collected in inflorescences of several buds, which resembles miniature bouquets. Flowers reappear on the shrub in late August or September.
Eva Ratke variety
This hybrid was bred by Polish breeders in 1890 by combining the Korean Weigela with abundant flowering. As a result, a low, only about 1 meter, shrub with a compact crown appeared. Veigela Eva ratke blooms almost all summer with red-carmine bells, which shine brightly in the sun and smell tenderly. In middle latitudes, it is advisable to cover the shrub with the onset of cold weather.
Weigel Middendorf
The deciduous ornamental shrub of the Weigela Middendorf usually grows up to one and a half meters in height. It has ascending branches with bright green, slightly drooping leaves. Yellow buds are painted with orange dots; are solitary or collected in inflorescences. The shrub blooms twice a season - in spring and early autumn. The bouquets can be enjoyed throughout the whole month.
Nana purpurea
Ornamental shrub has a spreading crown in the form of a ball. It grows only up to 1 meter in height and is considered a fairly compact garden plant. Weigela nana purpurea leaves are colored in an unusual brown-red color. In the sun, they are almost always brown, for which they are valued by gardeners.
During the period of lush flowering (June - July), weigela dresses in a bright outfit of rich pink bells. The length of each bud is about 4 cm. They are connected in inflorescences of several pieces, so they look very beautiful against the background of brown foliage.
Summer Red variety
This type of ornamental shrub begins to bloom in late May or early summer. Its main feature is continuous flowering until autumn. Weigela Summer Red is distinguished by red tubular buds that appear in large numbers on delicate shoots. The plant does not like windy places, so it is advisable to plant it in quiet areas of the garden. Weigela grows up to 1.5 m in height, which is liked by many summer residents. Having such dimensions, it harmoniously fits into any design of a suburban landscape.
Ebony & Ivory
The uniqueness of this variety lies in the power of contrast. White inflorescences stand out brightly against the background of dark leaves. Weigela Ebony & Ivory has a compact bush. The height of the plant reaches only 80 cm.The width of the crown is about 50 cm.On purple shoots, leaves of unusual color grow:
- in early spring - brown, almost black;
- in summer - green with a brown tint;
- in the fall - with a lilac tint.
On a miniature shrub, with the arrival of summer, white buds with a red base appear. In the photo, the weigela shrub is shown in all its glory in garden design.
Variety Victoria
An incredibly beautiful ornamental plant can decorate any summer cottage. The compact height - about 1 meter - allows you to use the bush to decorate even a small front garden. Despite her small stature, weigela Victoria has a dense crown in the form of a ball. The flexible shoots have brownish-red leaves that turn completely brown in the sun.
During flowering, the plant dresses up in an outfit of bright funnel-shaped bells. Often they are collected in inflorescences of several pieces, which resembles miniature bouquets. The lush beauty season lasts about 30 days. During this time, you can breathe in plenty of the heady aroma of graceful buds.
Early Weigela
In its natural environment, this type of shrub is found in the vastness of the Ussuri region, in China and North Korea. Despite this, early weigela grows well in other places. It reaches up to 2 m in height and has a dense spreading crown. Pretty leaves grow on reddish shoots. They resemble ellipses in shape with pointed tips. The side edges of the plate are serrated. The upper and lower plates are slightly pubescent. Young leaves are colored bright green. When autumn comes, they turn yellow-brown.
Early weigela buds are combined into small bouquets. They, like the leaves, are slightly pubescent. Painted in hot pink. Pleasing to the eye for a whole month.
Like other species, this shrub variety can suffer from severe frosts. To save the weigela from the cold, additional cover is required. It can be made from special fabric or spruce branches.
In addition to the listed varieties of weigela, there are many other specimens in gardening. In general, there are more than 100 species of them. Each of them has its own unique crown structure, height, color of buds and foliage. In any case, by planting a weigela in a summer cottage, you can contemplate its lush bloom for a whole season.