A unique plant with many beautiful flowers

Despite its unique its appearance, abelia is not a well know flowering plant, especially in Eastern Europe. It is a very resilient shrub, typical for its decorative shiny leaves and lavender pink flowers. You can enjoy their beauty all summer long and not only the beauty. Flowers produce a wonderful smell that attracts butterflies. Abelia can be 1.5 m tall and 1.5 m wide and creates a dense and compact crown. Branches grow diagonally upwards and then hang down to the ground.

Flowers and butterflies

If you are a nature lover, you should definitely grow abelia. It starts blooming at the turn of May and June and produces beautiful flowers. Flowering is gradual which gives you a long time to enjoy the beauty. . The smell is absolutely intoxicating and not only humans love it, but also by butterflies. The flowers have a tubular shape with five petals about 1 cm in diameter.

Photo: Pixabay

After flowering

You can enjoy this shrub even after the flowering period is over. Flowers turn into indehiscent fruit with five sepals which are very decorative. The fruit turns red in autumn and leaves retain their glossy green colour. Leaves are relatively large compared to flowers. They are elongated in shape and about 4 to 7 cm long. Leaves gradually turn light green to light brown but in late autumn, leaves get a pleasant pinkish-brown colour. If the winter is mild, leaves do not fall.

Growing abelia

Choose a sunny location with fertile, moist and slightly acidic soil. Abelia is resistant to pests and diseases so you do not need to use any chemical sprays. When the flowering period is over, you can perform a rejuvenation cut and give the bush the desired shape. Fully grown abelia is frost-resistant, but not young plants. You need to protect young plants by mulching with organic material. Abelia can grow as a solitary plant or in groups and you can even use it to make an English hedge.

Source: https://www.futuregardens.pl/abelia-mozanenska.html

Preview photo: Pixabay