Abelia zanderi Little Richard

Abelia zanderi Little Richard is a charming and relatively rare, new addition to the range of bushes suitable for small spaces and terrace decoration. It has a naturally compact, spreading, and rounded habit, and its flowering is long and abundant, consisting of small white and fragrant flowers enclosed in pink bracts. In autumn, its semi-evergreen foliage is painted with rich bronze shades and crowned with lovely old-pink bracts that persist for a long time. Easy to grow and not demanding, this beautiful bush is attractive for much of the year and is adorable in a small hedge or at the centre of a border.

Abelia zanderi Little Richard, from the caprifoliaceae family, is derived from the Abelia zanderi, a little-known hardy Chinese species with a compact and spreading habit, whose flowers are remarkably fragrant. Growing at a moderate pace, Little Richard will reach approximately  60cm (23.6in) in height and 90cm (35.4in) in spread. It develops slightly arching branches that contribute to its graceful habit. This abelia offers a long and abundant flowering that is pleasantly fragrant lasting throughout the summer, from July to September-October, when few shrubs are in bloom. Its countless small funnel-shaped corollas, 2.5cm (1in) wide, are white with a hint of pink and arranged in terminal panicles, attracting many pollinators. As the flowers fade, they give way to beautiful rust-coloured compound calyxes that are very decorative against the autumn foliage. In this Little Richard variety, the young shoots are red in spring. The slender and arching branches of the abelia bear particularly glossy, light green, semi-evergreen foliage, evergreen in mild climates. With the onset of cool nights, the foliage takes on a bronzed hue and persists for a long time on the branch.

This modest-sized Little Richard abelia, forming an adorable ball of flowers, can be planted either in groups with other small bushes, as a standalone specimen, or in a large pot. It can be planted in a perennial bed as well as a small informal or trimmed hedge. It can be paired with Syringa microphylla 'Superba', bush or groundcover roses with single flowers, or dwarf buddleias. It is well-suited for container cultivation, making it suitable for a terrace or balcony.