Description
Abelia x grandiflora
Abelia × grandiflora, the glossy abelia, is a hybrid Abelia, raised by hybridising Abelia chinensis with A. uniflora. It is a deciduous or semi-evergreen multi-stemmed shrub with rounded, spreading, or gracefully arching branches to 1-1.8 m tall.
Planting and care
Enrich the soil with leaf mold or well-rotted organic matter to encourage good drainage. Dig a hole 2 to 3 times as deep as the bulbs are high and set the bulb in the hole pointy side up. Fill the hole with soil and tamp gently. Space bulbs at a distance equal to 3 times the bulb’s diameter. For a good effect, plant plants in groups of 3 to 5 bulbs.
Caring for Abelia x grandiflora
- Feed plants on a regular basis before and throughout the blooming cycle (avoid chemical fertilizers and pesticides if you’re harvesting for the kitchen).Once a month between April and July, apply a balanced granular fertilizer (5-10-5 or 5-10-10). Allow ¾ to 1 cup for each bush, and sprinkle it around the drip line, not against the stem.
blooms from late summer to well into the autumn
Typical uses of Abelia x grandiflora
Special features: Specimen or grouping or mass for shrub borders or foundations. Also effective as an informal hedge or low screen (plants tend to lose attractive graceful shape if pruned or sheared to a more formal hedge look) in southern areas where winter kill is not a concern.
Ornamental use: The plant is used for ornamental purpose.
Medicinal use: It’s quite a pretty little shrub, reaching about 3 meters tall, with its clusters of white and varying shades of purple flowers. Beware, however, for every part of this beauty is poisonous. While that may sound terrible, the toxins are helpful.
References
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- http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/
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- http://www.flowersofindia.net/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abelia_%C3%97_grandiflora
