Abelia Shrubs

Abelias are popular garden shrubs. The most widely grown is the hybrid Abelia x grandiflora or the Glossy Abelia. Abelias are shrubs from native to eastern Asia and southern North America (Mexico); the species from warm climates are evergreen, and the colder climate species are deciduous. The deciduous species have leaves that are ovate, glossy, dark green, and turn purplish-bronze to red in autumn. The flowers are pendulous, white to pink, bell-shaped with a five-lobed corolla, and are usually scented. Multiple stems arise from the ground in a vase shape, spreading apart as they ascend into the foliage. Flowering continues over a long and continuous period from late spring to fall.

Clothed from spring through fall with its terminal clusters of delicate pink and white, small, tubular flowers, Abelia is often used by landscapers and gardeners for foundation plantings, hedges and screens. Abelia prefers full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. The shrub needs protection from strong winds and needs minimal pruning to remove wayward or damaged branches in early spring. Abelia performs best when spaced about 6 feet from other plants.