Weigela florida Naomi Campbell®

The Weigela florida 'Naomi Campbell' is a charming variety with foliage of an astonishing chocolate color turning bronze. In spring, it is covered with pretty purple-pink tubular flowers, which are well highlighted by the dark foliage. Particularly compact, this small bush will be perfect in a sunny, countryside or romantic inspired flower bed, as well as in a low flowering hedge, or even in a large pot on the terrace. An accommodating plant, this variety will be satisfied with an ordinary, even calcicolous, soil that is moderately moist.

Originally from northern China, Japan, and Korea, the Weigela florida is a deciduous shrub belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family. This family is a good contributor of ornamental shrubs, including the genera Lonicera (Honeysuckle), Abelia, Dipelta, or Leycesteria. This calcicolous shrub (preferring calcareous soils) has a fibrous and trailing root system, which perfectly withstands transplantation.
The 'Naomi Campbell' cultivar, from which it originates, stands out for its reduced development. It forms a ramified bush that is 0.80 m (2 ft 7 in) in height and width. Its funnel-shaped flowers have a lovely purple-pink colour. They are arranged in corymbs at the ends of the previous year's branches, and bloom abundantly from May to June. This flowering is melliferous and nectariferous and lasts for several weeks on the shrub. The elliptical and acuminate leaves (with a pointed tip) are among the darkest of the Weigela genus, with a beautiful chocolate colour. They then gradually turn bronze during the season.

Weigela is the epitome of an easy-to-grow plant, yet it can be found in almost every garden. 'Naomi Campbell' allows for a stylish and surprising renewal of the genus, with a colour that is still rare in the garden, mainly found in the Albizia 'Summer Chocolate'. Well suited for container planting, this small shrub can enhance a terrace or even a balcony. In the ground, it is a bit small to be used as a standalone plant and has a better effect either as a low hedge to separate two parts of a garden or bordering a pathway, or mixed in a flower bed with other equally easy-to-grow flowering shrubs. There is a wide choice among spring Spiraeas, such as the Dentate Spirea with its simple white flowers, as romantic as those of our little Weigela. Buddleias also offer numerous possibilities, such as the B. davidii 'Argus White' with its large spikes of white flowers throughout the summer. To create strong contrasts, opt for yellow-green or golden foliage, such as that of the dwarf Cotinus 'Young Lady' or the Physocarpus 'Amber Jubilee'.