Abelia x grandiflora Confetti

Abelia x grandiflora Confetti is a recently developed horticultural variety, appreciated for its variegated foliage that turns creamy pink in autumn and its long summer flowering in pastel tones. A bush with a compact habit carried by arching branches, adorned with more or less evergreen foliage that is very bright, it is elegant, full of personality, and graceful, and easily finds its place in a small garden. Its modest growth also makes it suitable for decorating terraces and balconies, planted in a large pot. Although relatively hardy, this abelia is susceptible to severe frost and icy winds. Provide it with a sheltered position and well-drained soil, even dry in summer!

Abelia x grandiflora Confetti is a bush from the Caprifoliaceae family. This recent horticultural hybrid is derived from Abelia x grandiflora, the result of cross-breeding between A. chinensis, native to temperate China, and A. uniflora, which comes from eastern China. This bush stands out for its very compact habit and variegated foliage with changing shades. It has a rounded habit, barely wider than tall. Growing moderately fast, it will not exceed 1 m (3.3 ft) in all directions. Abelia Confetti offers a long fragrant flowering period that lasts throughout summer, from July to September-October, when few shrubs are in bloom. Its countless small funnel-shaped corollas are pinkish white, and gathered in panicles in the axils of the leaves and at the terminal part. These flowers, 2 cm (0.8 in) long, consist of 2 to 5 sepals. As they fade, they give way to beautiful rust-coloured bracts, which are very decorative against the autumn foliage. The formed fruits are called achenes and contain only one seed. The arching branches of Abelia Confetti bear remarkably colourful semi-evergreen foliage: the leaves, 4 cm (1.6 in) long, are ovate, pointed, and more or less dentate. They have white-cream margins on a light green background in spring. In summer, the green darkens and the margins take on beautiful pink hues due to the effect of the first cool nights.

Plant either in a group with other small bushes or as a standalone plant, or in a large pot on a terrace or balcony, in a region that is not too cold. You can plant it in a perennial bed as well as in a small free or trimmed hedge. It can be paired with Caryopteris in a flowering hedge, Berberis thunbergii 'Rosy Glow' with purple and pink foliage, Syringa microphylla 'Superba', single-flowered bush roses, or even Choisya Apple Blossom.