Weigela florida Foliis Purpureis

Weigela florida 'Foliis Purpureis' is an adorable variety with a very compact and bushy growth, beautifully coloured, that will be appreciated for most of the year. Superb in late spring, draped in green-bronze foliage adorned with dark pink floral buds and pretty tubular flowers in two shades of pink, the bush also charms in early spring with its dark purple young foliage and closes the season in a red-orange fireworks display. This little marvel will be installed in ordinary but fresh soil in a sunny, rustic or romantic inspired flower bed, as well as in a small flowering hedge, or even in a large pot on the terrace.

Originating from northern China, Japan and Korea, the Weigela florida is a deciduous bush belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family. This calcicolous bush (preferring limestone soils) has a fibrous and tracing root system, which perfectly supports transplantation. Its cultivar 'Foliis Purpureis' shows slow growth and reduced development. It forms a ramified bush 1m (3ft 4in) high and 1.50m (4ft 11in) wide at most. Its funnel-shaped flowers have two shades of pink; they are dark pink outside and paler inside. They are carried in corymbs, at the end of the previous year's branches, and bloom abundantly from May to June. This flowering is melliferous and nectariferous. The foliage is composed of sessile, pubescent leaves on the underside, oval to elliptical, which change colour from spring to autumn. The branches of this bush are arched and show two ranks of hair.

Hardy up to -20°C (-4 °F), Weigelia 'Foliis Purpureis' is one of those bushes that are easy to grow in most of our regions, except the hottest and driest ones. It likes sunny or semi-shaded situations, in any fresh but well-drained soil. Its dense and bushy growth makes it a graceful and suitable bush for gardens of all sizes. The association of foliage and flower colours is far from being sad, it brings a very personal touch to any decor and allows you to create, in association with purple Berberis for example, large shimmering borders along a path or a lawn. In a flower bed, for example, give it companions like Galega, blood-red or variegated dogwoods, ornamental brambles, a Physocarpus, Symphoricarpus, or even a Buddleia alternifolia 'Unique', which is also dwarf, with blue-mauve flowers. In the background, the very dark foliage of holly or yew will form a dark setting for its bright foliage and ensure the decor in winter. This Weigela can also be installed in a container to attract attention in small gardens, or trained on a small trellis.