Weigela All Summer Red

Weigela 'All Summer Red' is undoubtedly the most perpetual of all Weigelas. The small size of this new variety does not prevent it from flowering almost continuously from April to September, in bright red sprinkled with white. Featuring very compact and bushy growth, this easy-to-grow shrub can be planted in ordinary but moist soil in a sunny, rustic or romantic-inspired flower bed, as well as in a small flowering hedge, and of course in a large pot on the terrace.

Native to northern China, Japan and Korea, Weigela florida is a deciduous shrub belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family. This calcicolous (preferring calcareous soils) shrub has a fibrous and spreading root system that is perfectly adaptable to transplantation. It has given rise to numerous horticultural varieties through hybridisation with other Weigelas, including the 'All Summer Red' cultivar, obtained in the Netherlands in 2011.

'All Summer Red Slingco' is an exceptional variety, awarded a Silver Medal at the Plantarium in 2014. This variety shows fairly fast growth and a dense and rounded growth habit. It forms a ramified bush that will not exceed 1 m (3 ft) in all directions at the age of 10 years. Its funnel-shaped flowers are of a bright red-pink colour, with pure white stamens that contrast well with the corolla. They are borne in corymbs, at the end of the branches, and bloom in successive waves from spring to the end of summer. This flowering is melliferous and nectariferous, but it does not produce fruits and does not exhaust the plant, which flowers tirelessly. The flowers fall off naturally on this variety, which requires little maintenance. The deciduous foliage is composed of sessile, pubescent leaves with an oval to elliptical shape. Green from spring to summer, they turn red in autumn.

Hardy down to -25 °C (-13 °F), Weigela 'All Summer Red' is one of those easy-to-grow shrubs that thrive in most regions, except for the hottest and driest ones. It enjoys a sunny or semi-shaded position, in any fresh but well-drained soil. Its compact and rounded habit makes it an ideal shrub for terrace decoration, as well as suitable for gardens of all sizes. Its long flowering period is far from dull; it brings life to any setting and allows the creation of large, vibrant borders along a path or a short grass meadow, for example in combination with purple Berberis. In a flower bed, you can give it companions such as Galega, blood or variegated dogwoods, ornamental brambles, a Physocarpus, symphorines or even a dwarf Buddleia alternifolia Unique, with blue-purple flowers. In the background, the very dark foliage of holly or yew will provide a dark setting that will enhance the garden scenery in winter.