Growing Abelia in a pot

When to plant an Abelia in a pot?

Ideally Abelia should be repotted in spring or autumn outside periods of frost and extreme heat. These conditions will be ideal for gentle hardening.

Which type of pot should I choose?

To help your Abelia thrive on your terrace, choose a large pot or container. At least a pot 40 cm in diameter for the smallest varieties. The larger the pot, the more easily your Abelia will develop depending on the variety. Choose a pot or container with built-in drainage, or drill holes 5 cm above soil level.

Which substrate should you choose?

Abelia is a bush that is undemanding and prefers a well-drained, light substrate. You can mix your garden soil with potting compost for bushes at a 50% ratio. To keep potted Abelia in good condition, add gravel, perlite or pumice to help water drain away and avoid excess moisture.

Which Abelia to choose?

All Abelias can be grown in pots; however we recommend prioritising varieties with moderate, compact growth. They are perfect on a balcony or terrace!

Abelia x grandiflora Sunny Charm MINDUO1

Notable for the colour of its flowering and its semi-evergreen foliage. The compact, rounded habit makes it a perfect Abelia for pots on a terrace.

• Flowering time August to November
• Height at maturity 1 m

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Abelia Magic Daydream

With its superb semi-evergreen foliage variegated with cream-white and pink and its pale pink bell-shaped flowers, this bush is ideal for growing in pots on a terrace or balcony. Silver medal at Plantarium 2017.

• Flowering time August to November
• Height at maturity 60 cm

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Abelia grandiflora PINKY BELLS

Compact and rounded, this Abelia is well suited to pot culture and also charms with the original colouring of its evergreen foliage, first purple, then turning to glossy green.

• Flowering time August to November
• Height at maturity 1 m

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Abelia grandiflora Sparkling Silver

This compact Abelia has attractive semi-evergreen foliage variegated with cream-white, complemented by a summer flowering of pale pink bell-shaped flowers that give way to beautiful autumn colours.

• Flowering time August to November
• Height at maturity 50 cm

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Abelia grandiflora Caramel Charm

An Abelia whose foliage, when exposed to sunlight, turns a coppery caramel, gradually shifting to golden then green. Its pink and white flowers bloom in summer. Of modest size, it is ideal for tubs or pots on a terrace.

• Flowering time August to November
• Height at maturity 1,25 m

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Caring for abelia in a pot

Exposure

For abundant flowering, place your Abelia in full sun. It will also tolerate partial shade. During very hot summer weather, especially in southern regions, avoid exposure to scorching sun in early afternoon. Keep it sheltered from cold, dry winds that could damage its attractive flowering.

Potted Abelia is less hardy than in ground and will not tolerate frosts well. In colder regions, we recommend overwintering your Abelia in an unheated but bright room such as a conservatory or in a cold greenhouse. For regions with little or no frost, simply mulch the base to protect it from cold, and temporarily place a winter fleece in case of light frosts. Evergreen and semi-evergreen Abelias should not keep this fleece on for too long.

Watering

Abelia dislikes excess water. It prefers a well-drained yet consistently moist substrate. In ground, Abelia will tolerate temporary drought, but in a pot, it needs to retain moist soil that does not dry out. During hot weather, water potted Abelia deeply 1 to 2 times a week. Also use mulch at the base of your Abelia to prevent rapid evaporation of water and soil drying out. During winter your Abelia will need watering only if it is overwintered in cold regions or if there has been no rain for 2 to 3 weeks in warm regions.

Fertiliser applications

Undemanding, your Abelia will need repotting every 2 to 3 years to renew its substrate. Apart from repotting, apply organic matter once or twice a year. This can be done by adding a handful of compost or leaf mould at the base of the Abelia. You can also use horn meal, humus or a fertiliser for bushes. If from one year to the next, at the same time, you notice your Abelia has smaller or fewer leaves, it is a sign it needs additional organic feeding.

Pruning

Between February and April, prune dead wood from your Abelia while retaining the strong branches so as to maintain a rounded habit.

To go further

• Find all our Abelia varieties available here.
• Our advice sheet on Abelia: planting, pruning and maintenance