Abelia grandiflora Hopleys

The Abelia x grandiflora 'Hopley's' is one of the best varieties with bright variegated foliage! It is valued for its small, oval, shiny, semi-evergreen foliage which first appears green, margined with yellow then ivory white under the sun's rays and then changing to purple-pink with the arrival of cold weather. Its clusters of bell-shaped flowers, initially pink in bud and then white when open, appear throughout the summer season. It is a compact bushy shrub with gracefully arching branches, perfectly suited for container cultivation or as a low hedge. Requiring almost no maintenance and hardy down to -12°C (10.4°F), it is a perfect choice for hot, even dry locations with light and well-drained soil.

The Abelia x grandiflora is a shrub in the caprifoliaceae family. This hybrid is the result of cross-breeding between Abelia chinensis, native to temperate China, and Abelia uniflora, originating from eastern China. The species prefers bright and warm exposures and fertile but well-drained soils. 'Hopley's' is a recent English horticultural creation and is known to be one of the most stable variegated Abelia varieties with large flowers. It has a medium growth rate and reaches only 1.2m (3.94 ft) in all directions at maturity after 10 years. The long, slightly fragrant flowering period lasts throughout the summer, from July to September, when few shrubs are in bloom. Its countless small funnel-shaped, white-pink corollas, are grouped in terminal panicles. The slender and arching branches of this Abelia bear glossy foliage, initially light green with a golden yellow border, which lightens to ivory white under intense sunlight and then turns pink in autumn. The small, toothed, oval leaves are semi-evergreen and persist for a long time on the branch.

The 'Hopley's' Abelia, with its compact habit and exceptional flowering, enriches the range of plants suitable for cultivation in large pots as well as small gardens. It can be planted in groups with other low shrubs such as Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety', Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea Nana', Ceanothus repens, or Genista lydia. This variety, once well established, is drought-resistant and hardy to about -12°C (10.4°F) in well-drained soil. It is best cultivated in pots in cold regions and stored during winter. It is an interesting shrub for creating informal hedges in drier and warmer gardens, where its arching branches, laden with a profusion of fragrant flowers, can express themselves freely! Consider associating it with coarser evergreen foliage plants such as Distyliums, laurels, and finer, glaucous foliage of spireas in flower beds.