How to Grow and Care for Abelia

Chinese abelia (Abelia chinensis) is a deciduous shrub that will grow from 1.5 to 2.5 m tall. It blooms from summer to fall with fragrant showy white tubular flowers that attract butterflies. Thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers acidic moist well-drained soil. It is native to China.

The Abelia uniflora shrub was first described in 1829 by Nathaniel Wallich. It is a deciduous plant that blooms from spring to early summer with clusters of purplish to white flowers. It’s commonly found at elevations of 2000 m above sea level.

The abelia 'Edward Goucher' has lilac-pink flowers with copper-colored leaf bases, distinguishing it from others of the species. It was cultivated from Abelia × Grandiflora and named in honor of English naturalist Edward Goucher. Horticulturalists are fond of this easy-to-grow and low-maintenance deciduous shrub and often use it as a good informal hedge.

'Radiance' Glossy abelia is a member of the Honeysuckle family and a cultivar of the Glossy Abelia. It has surprisingly bright, radiantly crimson stems that differ from the more subdued stem color of the parent plant. This semi-evergreen shrub is dense, and grows into a more compact shape than its parent. Gardeners like this cultivar as it has attractive two-colored olive and cream leaves that appear in fall.

Glossy abelia is an ornamental hybrid of *Linnaea chinensis* and *Linnaea uniflora*. The name 'Abelia × grandiflora' means 'large flowered' in Latin, which is rather ironic since this plant has abundant white flowers, but they are quite small. Its dense growth makes it a popular hedge, but it has enough appeal to be grown as a specimen shrub.