Abelia chinensis
(Chinese Abelia)
Family - Caprifoliaceae
Category - Shrub
Origin - Central and Eastern China
Discovered By - Clarke Abel, naturalist and doctor
Year of Introduction - Discovered in 1817, introduced into cultivation in 1844
Season of Interest - Spring, Summer, Autumn
Hardiness - H5
Height - 1.5m
Width - 2.5m
Location - The Spring Garden
Description: A small, Deciduous Shrub with a bushy, spreading habit and arching branches. Glossy mid to dark green leaves are ovate in shape with finely toothed margins. Pink teardrop-shaped buds open to small funnel-shaped flowers that are white and tinged with pale pink. Each Bloom is subtended by slender pink calyces that deepen in colour with age and remain attractive on the plant long after the flowers have finished. The Blooms are held in dense panicles and produced over a long period from midsummer through mid-autumn. The flowers have a gentle, sweet fragrance and are attractive to pollinating insects.
Synonym - Abelia rupestris
Flower:
Pink buds open to small, funnel-shaped flowers that are white and flushed with pink. Each bloom is subtended by slender pink calyces that deepen in colour with age and remain attractive on the plant long after the flowers have finished. The blooms are held in panicles and produced over a long period from July through October.
Flower colour: Pink, white
Flower shape: Funnel-shaped flowers in panicles
Flowering time: July, August, September, October
Foliage:
Glossy mid to dark green leaves are ovate in shape and have serrate margins. The leaves are held in opposite pairs on brittle, arching stems.
Foliage Senescence: Deciduous
Foliage Shape: Ovate
Propagation:
Cuttings, seed.
Cultivation:
Best in a sheltered position in full sun in fertile, moisture-retentive soil that is well-drained.