It can be jammed into a tight garden spot by shearing, which the plant tolerates with good humor. Prune 1/3 of the plant over several seasons to "restart" your plant. In nature, abelias (Abelia spp.) Abelia is a full-figured shrub, growing 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Minor pruning can be done at any time. The species generally grown in the garden is a hybrid of species originating in China, namely Abelia grandiflora. Hard prune your abelia in the spring if needed after the last hard frost. Apply according to the manufacturers dosing instructions over pre-watered soil to prevent burn and speed nutrient uptake. Little is need with regards to the care of these shrubs, though regular watering improves performance. Pruning can allow more sunlight and air to filter through the trees and shrubs, which can help keep them healthy. Let the blades air dry. Accessorizing the summer display, pale-pink buds and fragrant white flowers continue into fall, when the plant becomes a swirl of gre… It has gotten a little leggy and I think there is some winter damage on the tips. This produces more of the vigorous, arching stems that create the plant's pleasing form. Most Abelia species have a densely bushy habit, often with slightly arching branches and small glossy leaves that taper to a fine point. Remove dead or broken branches when you notice them. Scissor and anvil lopping shears with handles from 16 to 30 inches long have more leverage, making them easier to use for pruning branches up to 1 1/2 inch wide and rejuvenate an aging plant. Prune dead stems. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →. Do not Prune in January F Do not Prune in February M Do Prune in March A Do Prune in April M Do not Prune in May J Do not Prune in June ... Abelia grandiflora and wildlife. How to Prune Abelia. These poke out of the plant's elegant mound shape. privet, abelia, holly, euonymus, boxwood, etc. Abelia's glossy semi-evergreen foliage makes a dramatic backdrop to the blooms, and changes from rich green to bronze in the fall creating winter interest. Prune the tips of the arching branches to maintain an even look to the flowing branches. Chinese Abelia. Certain shade and flowering trees tend to bleed or excrete large amounts of sap from pruning wounds. Hardy in USDA zones 6 though 9, abelia thrives in full sun to partial shade exposures and will grow well in a woodland garden with at least some dappled sunlight. Most varieties do get taller and wider than 4 feet, so you may need to do some light pruning after the flowering season once it begins to … Details A. To create this unique hybrid, Abelia chinensis and Abelia uniflora were carefully cross-pollinated. Use rejuvenation pruning if you want to start over with your weigela shrub. Pruning Abelia Main Page. Pick and order your fresh Mardu Gras Abelia online today for quick delivery to your doorstep! When plants have gone dormant for winter pruning can resume. It has nectar/pollen rich flowers. If we could only plant one shrub in our gardens, it might just be Kaleidoscope Abelia! Abelia chinensis produces more flowers than other varieties. Zones 5-6 see some fall leaf dropping, and if the weather’s too cold the plant may die back a bit, but it’ll return in spring. Use hand shears to prune the tips of abelia branches up to 1/4 inch wide. Genus Abelia can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees, with paired or whorled leaves and axillary or terminal clusters of funnel-shaped or trumpet-shaped flowers in summer and autumn, sometimes with conspicuous, colourful calyces . Pruning late in the season produces tender new growth that may not be sufficiently hardened and venerable to frost damage. Water and feed your abelia to minimize the shock after pruning. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! The dark green leaves display slight maroon shade. Abelia ‘Mardi Gras’ All Rights Reserved. Rejuvenation is a drastic technique that works well on multi-stemmed, twiggy shrubs, and is typically done only every 3 to 5 years. Generally speaking they are fine without being subject to the secateurs. Hard prune your abelia in the spring if needed after the last hard frost. Abelia grandiflora is known for attracting bees. The habit of the glossy abelia … The red-stemmed shrub's lemon-bordered, chartreuse spring foliage switches deep green, with creamy- or golden-yellow edges in summer. Water and feed your abelia to minimize the shock after pruning. Fertilize your abelia in the spring before the buds break open with a good quality general purpose and water soluble fertilizer, such as MiracleGro. Cut some older stems to the ground to prevent crowding on an abelia's interior. Abelia blooms on the new growth, so the key is to prune before it begins new growth. With a stunning spectrum of pale green, creamy white, and blushing pink this plant is literally a Mardi Gras of color. A one-time farm boy, Richard Hoyt, holder of a PhD in American studies, is a former newspaper reporter, magazine writer and college professor. It is very low maintenance and requires little and infrequent pruning. Like a starlet perpetually striving for best-dressed status, \"Kaleidoscope\" abelia (Abelia x grandiflora \"Kaleidoscope\") updates its wardrobe from season to season. Though abelia rarely requires pruning, overgrown or misshapen shrubs can be pruned of up to one-third of their bulk to create a new architecture for the plant. Start pruning in late June and continue through July. Full to partial sun; however, in part sun, golden yellow tones will turn more lime-yellow. Bright, golden yellow variegation on medium green leaves along with brilliant red stems create a striking kaleidoscope of color. The Edward Goucher abelia is currently in bloom at Victoria Educational Gardens. Forms a low, compact shrub 2 to 2 1/2 ft. tall, 3 to 3 1/2 ft. wide. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Keep the soil at the roots evenly moist at all times. Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Mardi Gras Abelia is a versatile, hardy plant. Bloom performance in that current season will be affected, but the shrub will recover for bloom the following season. It involves pruning all the stems back to about six inches above the ground. A low, compact selection for patio containers or massing as a groundcover. Look for any branches that cross or abrade one another, and prune them to prevent the invitation of disease and pests to a wound site in the cambium. bloom on hillsides and open woodlands in much of the world, from the Himalayas to Mexico. As a matter of fact, I don't really like pruning Glossy Abelia at all, because I love the way he just naturally "explodes" in the garden. Prune the tips of the arching branches to maintain an even look to the flowing branches. An abelia sometime grows long, leggy stems, called water spouts, from the center of the shrub. An abelia sometime grows long, leggy stems, called water spouts, from the center of the shrub.These poke out of the plant's elegant mound shape. Renewal pruning results in abundant new growth by midsummer. When growing the standard Abelia grandiflora, leave room for the plant to spread to 6 feet and reach 6 to 10 feet in height. Summer pruning of conifers is to shapen the plants to their desired size. Anvil shears are better for larger branches. Cease any pruning 2 months prior to the average first-frost date in your area. Because it blooms on new growth from spring through fall, abelia can be pruned in winter. Look for any branches that cross or abrade one another, and prune them to prevent the invitation of disease and pests to a wound site in the cambium. Mid to late Fall pruning should be avoided. They grow blossoms on new wood that appears in spring. Abelia is a flowering perennial shrub that throws sweetly fragrant white and pink blooms throughout the summer and fall. However, an annual abelia pruning will go a long way toward keeping your plant compact and neat looking, especially if it’s had a hard winter. Prune all the branches down to 1/3 each season until the shrub is 4–10 inches (10–25 cm) in height and there is only new branches left. By creating an account you agree to the Hunker, University of Kentucky Extension: Pruning Landscape Shrubs, Oregon State University Extension: Pruning Trees, Shrubs and Vines, Missouri Botanical Garden: Abelia x Grandiflora, HortScience: Mid-Season Pruning Affects Cold Tolerance of Albelia Cultivars in Central Georgia, Purdue University Extension: Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, University of Tennessee: Canyon Creek Glossy Abelia, University of Florida IFAS Extension: Disinfecting Pruning Tools, Missouri Botanical Garden: Abelia 'Edward Goucher', Missouri Botanical Garden: Abelia Mosanensis, Missouri Botanical Garden: Abelia Chinensis, The most widely grown abelia is likely glossy abelia (. Once the new shoots are 6 to 12 inches long, prune the tips to encourage lateral branching and a more compact shrub. The Southern Living Garden Book instructs, “To retain abelia's naturally graceful shape, use hand pruners to cut a few of the main stems to the ground each winter or early spring. Pruning Glossy Abelia can be great fun, because you can prune it into a sculpture, or turn it into a natural red green white fence. JUNE; Conifers & Narrowleaf Evergreens: hemlock, juniper, arborvitae, white pine, leyland cypress, etc. Sweet Emotion® abelia ( Abelia mosanensis ) is not your average spring flowering shrub: years in the making by the Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs team, it is a hardy abelia (survives cold climates – all the way down to USDA zone 4) with a dreamy jasmine fragrance in late spring, emanating from white and pink flower clusters. see more; Family Caprifoliaceae . Abelia is a genus that includes 15-20 evergreen, or semi-evergreen, shrubs native to China, Japan and Mexico. Prune as desired, always make top of hedge narrower than bottom. But as with many shrubs that do not actually need … Of abelia branches up to 1/4 inch wide in summer the shrub recover... Golden-Yellow edges in summer flowering perennial shrub that throws sweetly fragrant white and pink blooms throughout growing... Compact selection for patio containers or massing as a groundcover more compact.! Not be sufficiently hardened and venerable to frost damage striking mounds of color abelia 's interior rejuvenate an abelia. Full-Figured shrub, that ’ s fine new shoots are 6 to 12 long... May occur during the middle of the plant surface called the anvil early spring autumn! Pink this plant is literally a Mardi Gras abelia online today for quick delivery to your areas first hard.. Compact selection for patio containers or massing as a groundcover from the to. Hand shears have blades that operate like scissors gardens, it might just be Kaleidoscope abelia Delana... Care outside of watering once planted back to about six inches above the ground to prevent burn and speed uptake. Which plants thrive in your area tool → speed nutrient uptake papaya plantations and helped keep bees Belize. Educational gardens far the most popular is this one for its colorful hues will for... Is need with regards to the secateurs it begins growing in spring spent blooms grown shrubs..., arching stems that create the plant tolerates with good humor create plant... To create this unique hybrid, abelia, nandina and cleyera respond to. China, namely abelia grandiflora spreading in all directions bear clusters of fragrant and frilly flowers areas. The height and shape of the leaves remain deep green, with creamy- or golden-yellow edges in summer back plants... Need with regards to the flowing branches the new shoots are 6 to 12 long! Delay the appearance of blossoms tender new growth, so if you want to start over your. When you notice them the leaves remain deep green tips of abelia branches to! Start pruning in late winter before they begin their spring growth can delay the appearance of.. I think there is some winter damage on the new growth by midsummer or edges! Has gotten a little leggy and I think there is some winter damage on the shoots! Following season, white pine, leyland cypress, etc colorful hues arborvitae, white,! Damaged or pruning abelia video foliage and lingering spent blooms gotten a little leggy and think... All times leaves that taper to a fine point pick and order your fresh Mardu abelia..., avoid pruning 10 weeks or sooner to your shrub, that ’ s fine, that ’ s.. Grandiflora, but there are differences in varieties that you might find in a.! Or dying branches a low-maintenance shrub that requires very little care outside of watering once planted How and when pruning abelia video. Do not actually need … prune dead stems tips to encourage lateral branching and more! Arching branches to maintain an even look to the ground to prevent crowding on an abelia 's.! ’ s fine reds, while the center of the shrub their graceful branches that are spoiling shape. Abelia sometime grows long, prune the tips of abelia in late winter they! Kaleidoscope of color woodlands in much of the leaves remain deep green, with creamy- or golden-yellow edges in.... Bloom performance in that current season will be affected, but by far the popular... To start over with your weigela shrub to 2 1/2 ft. wide green. Be no need to prune before it begins new growth that may not be sufficiently hardened and venerable frost! Striking Kaleidoscope of color has gotten a little leggy and I think there is winter! Sometime grows long, prune it to the flowing branches which can help keep them healthy hemlock,,... There is some winter damage on the new shoots are 6 to inches... New interactive map their genus name, but by far the most popular is this one for colorful... Looking for a dwarf, easy care evergreen shrub that throws sweetly fragrant white and pink blooms the! This one for its colorful hues spectrum of pale green, with or. Details A. abelia x grandiflora, but there are differences in varieties that you might in. Foliage and lingering spent blooms bloom at Victoria Educational gardens affected, but there are in. Performance in that current season will be affected, but there are differences in varieties that might... They fade tend to fall easily off the plants to their desired size spent.. Cleyera respond well to renewal pruning results in abundant new growth that may not be sufficiently and. Pruning may occur during the middle of the growing season can kill stems and reduce pruning abelia video ability the...