Discovering the many advantages of weigla

Gardeners of a certain age may remember when the weigela was regarded as a relic of Victorian times and not worthy of a serious place in contemporary gardens.

Times have changed. and the newly introduced weigela cultivars are some of the hottest ornamental plants going today.

Remarkable improvements have been made in foliage, plant habit and winter hardiness.

Once known solely for a glorious display of spring flowers, modern cultivars now also boast a variety of leaf color and growth habits.

Attractive, colorful foliage provides season-long interest once the riot of flowers has faded.

Cultivars have been selected for leaves that may be bright yellow, copper, burgundy, near black or variegated green with cream or gold. Flowers may be white, red, yellow or various shades of pink.

Weigela are easily grown in average, well-drained soil and are hardy to USDA zone 4. There are no serious pest problems. Most weigela require full sun for the greatest abundance of flowers but will tolerate very light shade. Prune to shape immediately after flowering.

Native to Japan, Korea, and Northern China, the common garden species, weigela florida, is a rounded-to-arching shrub that grows as tall as 6 to 8 feet.

It's often prized for the funnel-shaped flowers that engulf the plant from May to June, but there is little more than an occasional secondary flowering to recommend it for the rest of the growing season.

Thanks to selective breeding, newer cultivars of weigela florida exhibit a wide range of attractive, colorful foliage and tidy growth habits, providing season-long interest after the blooms have faded.

Depending on ultimate size, weigela cultivars can make nice accents in shrub borders or mixed plantings. They make effective hedges and can also be judiciously incorporated into a foundation planting for the front or back yard. The more dwarf varieties are good choices for container plantings and as edging along walkways and around patios.

The funnel-shaped flowers of weigela are highly attractive to hummingbirds and may also attract butterflies.

Weigela is noted to be a food plant for the larvae of the Giant Silkworm moth, a beautiful large moth found in every state.

Easy to grow, reliably hardy and summer-long interest. All these qualities make weigela a top choice to try this year.

Here are some specific varieties to look for at your local nursery:

Taller varieties

Award winning Wine and Roses boasts large, glossy, dark burgundy-purple leaves and vivid, deep pink flowers. It grows 4 or 5 feet tall and develops the best leaf color in full sun. Wine and Roses is an excellent, nonthorny alternative to the Japanese barberry, which is falling into increasing disfavor due to its tendency to invade native woodlands.

French Lace is a 4- to 5-foot shrub with beautiful green and gold variegated leaves. Deep red tubular flowers cover the plant in May. French Lace is hardier than the older cultivar Variegata, which sometimes suffers from tipdieback in colder winters.

Fine Wine grows to 2ˆ½ to 4ˆ½Ã¯ˆ¿ˆ½ feet tall and wide. This weigela cultivar is noted for its compact shape, pink flowers and dark burgundy foliage. Trumpet-shaped, rose-pink flowers cover the plant in May with scattered repeat bloom occurring throughout summer. The leaves hold good burgundy color throughout the growing season.

Smaller varieties

Minuet is a hardy, strong-blooming plant with purple- tinged foliage and purplish red flowers. It typically grows to only 2 or 3 feet tall and spreads to 3 or 4 feet wide. The slightly fragrant, funnel-shaped flowers bloom profusely in spring with a sparse and scattered repeat bloom often occurring in mid to late summer. Its purple-tinged leaves retain good color throughout the growing season

Pink Poppet boasts a profusion of shell pink blossoms in spring followed reliably by a second crop of flowers in late summer. It grows up to 2 feet in height and spreads 2 or 3 feet wide. It maintains a nicely rounded shape and bears bright green leaves throughout the summer. Pink Poppet makes an excellent accent plant in rock gardens and works well in the perennial border.

My Monet is a petite little beauty with cream, pink and green variegated leaves on a 10- to 16-inch tall plant. Its small size and compact habit make it a great choice for a mixed border, where it can be used in much the same way as one might use perennials or annuals. Attractive pink flowers appear in spring and the colorful foliage provides color all season long.

Midnight Wine has purple leaves and pink flowers and is known for its unique dwarfmounded habit. Midnight Wine grows only 8-to- 10-inches tall and twice as wide. Its unique habit makes it an excellent shrub for the front of the border and can easily be integrated with gray-leaved perennials such as Silver Brocade artemesia. It is also another good alternative to the invasive Japanese barberry.

These are just a select few varieties. Plan to visit the many wonderful public gardens in the area to see these and others in person.

• Beth Gollan is a horticulturist and woody plant specialist at The Planter's Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield, IL 60190. Call (630) 293-1040.