Abelia grandiflora Pink Lady - Abélia à grandes fleurs

The Abelia (x) grandiflora 'Pink Lady' is a compact variety with tricolour foliage and a long-lasting pinkish-white flowering period. Its small leaves are pink during the budding period, turning green variegated with creamy white before taking on a pink hue again in autumn. The young red shoots create a pink halo effect over its foliage. Very compact, this bush forms a beautiful, colourful cushion, perfect for planting in pots, containers, borders, or rockeries. The plant remains decorative for almost the entire year.

The Abelia (x) grandiflora is a bush from the Caprifoliaceae family. This hybrid results from the cross-breeding between the Abelia chinensis, native to temperate China, and the Abelia uniflora, originating from eastern China. The species prefers bright, warm exposures and fertile, well-drained soil. Hardy down to -12°C, this bush is drought-resistant once established. The 'Pink Lady' is a variety developed by Klemens Kayser. This bush has a dense, compact, rounded habit. It will not exceed 80 cm in height and 1 m in width. Its growth is moderately fast. The long-lasting, lightly fragrant flowering period repeats from July to October, when few bushes are still in bloom. Its countless small, funnel-shaped, slightly pinkish-white corollas are grouped in terminal panicles. The red branches of this Abelia bear glossy green foliage variegated with bright pink when budding. The leaves turn green variegated with ivory white before shifting to pink in autumn. The ovate, more or less dentate leaves remain on the branches for a very long time.

Zith its compact cushion-like habit and evolving tricolour foliage, the Large-flowered Abelia 'Pink Lady', enriches the range of plants suitable for large containers and small gardens. It can be planted in groups with other low-growing bushes such as Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety', Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea Nana', Ceanothus repens, or even Genista lydia. This variety is best grown in pots in colder regions, allowing the plant to be sheltered in winter. It is a highly appealing bush for creating informal, unpruned small hedges in drier, warmer gardens, where its arching branches, laden with a profusion of fragrant flowers, can flourish freely! Consider pairing it with the coarser evergreen foliage of Distyliums, laurels, and the finer foliage of spiraeas.