Popular weigela varieties for your garden
Weigela is one of the most beautiful decorative flowering shrubs. It was once considered an exclusively "wild" plant. It was possible to meet picturesque plantings only in natural conditions. But thanks to the work of breeders, weigela quickly domesticated. Numerous varieties of weigela are striking in their appearance. Beautiful bell-shaped inflorescences bloom in two waves, densely strewn with shoots. At the same time, the last buds decorate the garden until the very frost. What can we say about the variety of their colors: all kinds of delicate shades and deeply saturated colors.
Despite belonging to the same genus, some weigela varieties differ from each other not only in shape and size. They also behave differently during the growing season. This must be taken into account when planning the cultivation of a particular species.
So, one of the most beautiful and popular varieties is the following weigels:
- Alexandra;
- Minor Black;
- Variegata;
- Bristol Ruby.
What are they remarkable for and what features do they have? Let's take a quick look at each plant.
Weigela Alexandra
It is quite a compact variety, the bush grows up to 1 m in height. It has a dense, rounded crown that is easy to change with a haircut. It grows slowly, no more than 10 cm per year, blooms in early summer. Inflorescences are located along the entire length of the shoots. They can be bright red or deep pink.
A characteristic feature of the variety is the ability to change leaf color and regulate flowering. In the shade, the foliage will be olive green, and the flowering itself will be sparse and short. In the sun, the leaves turn purple, up to black and purple.
Weigela Minor Black
The variety has a fairly good annual growth, up to 30 cm per season. At the same time, Minor Black remains a dwarf variety, the total height of the bush is on average 80 cm.The diameter of the crown itself is almost equal to the total growth. The color of the leaves attracts attention - they are dark purple, with a glossy sheen. Dark pink bells blossom at the end of May, and the second wave comes at the end of August.
The variety also has a variable character. It loses purple foliage in the shade. In addition, the buds are lighter in color at the beginning of flowering.
Weigela Variegata
Rather high bush, able to stretch up to 2.5 m. The leaves are small, but original: the edges of the green leaf plate are surrounded by a white border. Blooms in late spring with small pink inflorescences, collected in small clusters.
Variegata is characterized by increased frost resistance.
Weigela Bristol Ruby
One of the tallest species with a spreading green crown up to 3.5 m in diameter. The bush reaches the same height in height. It blooms in two waves: in May and August. The buds are pale at first, then gradually darken. The color of flowers can be white, yellow, pink or red.
In conclusion, I would like to add: if you want to see re-flowering, after the first wave, cut the wilted flowers on the branches. And then at the beginning of autumn weigela bush will delight you with bright buds again.