Weigela
Weigela florida
Weigela blooms from May through June.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Weigela
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Expect it to reach about 4.9 ft tall and 4.9 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years.
When to plant Weigela
Plant Weigela in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 8 range, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
Comes in 13 varieties across 3 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Weigela
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
The tubular, often red or pink flowers that make it showy are a textbook hummingbird signal: the flower shape you buy is the shape hummingbirds feed from. per NC State and Clemson
Size varies by cultivar
The straight species is a big shrub, 6 to 10 ft tall, but cultivars run from under 2 ft to about 6 ft. Match the plant to your space. per NC State and Clemson
Not deer-proof
Sources disagree: Clemson calls it deer resistant, but NC State also says deer may damage it. Treat it as browsed, not deer-proof, and protect tender new growth. per NC State and Clemson
Prune right after bloom
It flowers on old wood, so make the shaping cut right after the late-spring blooms fade. A fall or winter cut removes next year's buds. per NC State and Iowa State
Check for winter dieback
Cold can kill stem tips and whole branches, especially at the cold end of its range. Inspect in late winter and cut out dead wood before growth resumes. per NC State and Iowa State
Few serious pests
Few serious problems. Watch only for occasional flea beetles or mealybugs, plus gray mold or wood rots on wet or stressed plants; a healthy, well-sited shrub rarely needs treatment. per Clemson and University of Illinois
Easy to please
Grows in clay, loam, or sand at any pH as long as drainage is good, and shrugs off clay, light salt, air pollution, and compaction. per NC State and University of Illinois
What pairs well with Weigela
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Purple Coneflower
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; lower at 3 ft, for the front of the border.
Creeping Sedum
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into late summer; low at 4 in, to carpet the ground beneath; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Candytuft
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Siberian Squill
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath.
Windflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath.
Hyacinth
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border.
Sweet Alyssum
Shares full sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; low at 5 in, to carpet the ground beneath; its white flowers settle the pink.
Bacopa
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; its white flowers settle the pink.
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