Shrub · Caprifoliaceae
Old Fashioned Weigela
Weigela florida
In full sun and pruned on time, weigela lines its arching stems with tubular rose-pink to red flowers.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 4–8
6–10 ft · 1.8–3 m
Overview
Weigela is a deciduous shrub whose long stems arch outward and, in late spring, hang thick with tubular flowers in rose-pink to red. Each bloom is a slim, trumpet-shaped tube, and the sheer number of them turns the whole plant into a mound of soft color. The narrow throats of those flowers are what pull in hummingbirds and butterflies.
Away from bloom, the shrub reads as a broad, arching mound of green. It holds that easy shape in full sun to light shade, on almost any soil, and through winters down to zone 4. The flower buds sit on the older wood, so the age of a stem, not just its length, decides where next spring's color appears.
The full species is a large, spreading thing, but the smaller forms trade size for foliage color. Dwarf and reblooming cultivars stay low and tight, and many carry leaves washed in deep purple or streaked with cream and green that keep the plant worth looking at long after the last flower drops.
Care
The short version: set weigela in full sun and average, well-drained soil, water it through dry spells until the roots take hold, and make any shaping cut right after the flowers fade.
Light
Weigela flowers most heavily in full sun, though it still leafs out and grows in partial sun or light shade. Give it 6 or more hours of direct sun a day. In deeper shade the stems carry far fewer of those tubular blooms, and the mound looks green rather than colored.
Water
Through its first season, a young shrub wants steady moisture at the roots, then only water during a drought. Let the top inch or so of soil dry to the touch between waterings, roughly every 7 to 14 days when rain is short. Once the roots run deep, the plant stays firm and green through dry spells.
Soil
Weigela sends its roots into clay, loam, or sandy ground alike, as long as it drains and holds average, medium moisture. It grows across a broad pH from 5.5 to 7.5, so the soil in most beds already suits it without any working.
Temperature
The wood is tough, taking a span from -29°F to 90°F (-34°C to 32°C) across zones 4 through 8. In the coldest zones the slim branch tips brown and die back over winter, but fresh green shoots push up from the lower wood once spring warms the plant.
Humidity
Plain outdoor air is enough for weigela, so there is no level to watch. Good airflow through the arching stems matters more, drying the leaves and keeping the few pests that mark the foliage from taking hold.
Feeding
Weigela draws little from the soil. A single feeding of slow-release shrub fertilizer in spring keeps the leaves green and the stems growing all season, with no need to feed again unless the growth looks thin and pale.
Pruning
The cut timing shows up directly in the flowers. Shape the shrub right after the late-spring bloom, since the buds ride on the old wood and a later cut carries next year's color away. In late winter, take out a few of the oldest, thickest stems and any brown, winter-killed wood to push fresh growth.
Repotting
Weigela rarely sits in a pot, and in open ground its roots never need lifting. Where a dwarf form grows in a container, shift it to the next size up once the roots coil around the rootball or push pale tips through the drainage holes.
Size & spacing
At full size the species is a big, arching shrub, 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 m) tall and wider still at 9 to 12 feet (2.7 to 3.7 m) across. Leave room for the stems to sweep outward, or set a dwarf cultivar where the space is tight or a pot holds it.
When to plant
Weigela is woody, so there is no seedling stage to watch, only the plant itself changing through the year. Set it out in spring or fall, look for the tubular flowers from April into June, and make any shaping cut in the short stretch just after the color fades from the stems.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Spring or fall
- Harvest: April to June, with sparse repeat bloom in mid to late summer on modern cultivars
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 4–8
Temperature: down to -34°C
Troubleshooting
Most of what goes wrong with weigela shows on the plant directly: bare stems where flowers should be, brown dead tips, sticky or speckled leaves, or dull, drooping foliage. Each look points to a cause, whether pruning timing, winter cold, or soil moisture. Match what you see on the shrub below and act before a season of color is lost.
Bare stems where the flowers should be
The usual reason is pruning at the wrong time, since the flower buds sit on the old wood and any cut in late summer, fall, or winter takes next spring's color off with the stems. Deep shade and winter-killed flowering wood leave the same empty look. Cut only right after the late-spring bloom, give the shrub 6 or more hours of direct sun, and leave the healthy old stems standing.
Fix:
- Prune only immediately after the late-spring bloom since flowers form on old wood
- Relocate or limb up surrounding plants so the shrub gets 6 or more hours of direct sun
- Remove only dead, winter-damaged wood and leave healthy old stems intact
Brown, brittle branch tips in spring
This is winter dieback, worst in colder zones or on a cultivar grown near the edge of its hardiness. Scratch the bark to be sure: killed wood is brown and dry through, with no green cambium showing under the surface. Cut those dead tips back to firm, live growth in late winter, and green shoots return from the healthy lower wood.
Fix:
- Prune out dead wood back to live, green growth in late winter or early spring
- Let the shrub regrow from healthy lower stems
Dull, drooping leaves and slack growth
When the whole shrub goes limp and dull, water is the usual cause, either drought or roots left in soggy, poorly drained soil. A nutrient shortage or salty soil drains the same color from the leaves. Feel the soil for wet or dry, water through the dry stretches, open up the drainage where it stays soggy, and feed with a slow-release shrub fertilizer if the leaves stay thin.
Fix:
- Provide regular water during dry spells and improve drainage in soggy sites
- Apply a slow-release shrub fertilizer if a deficiency is suspected
Sticky, speckled, or puckered leaves and shoots
The likely cause is mealybugs, small insects hidden in white, cottony tufts down in the stem junctions, though flea beetles may chew ragged holes in the leaves too. Turn the leaves over and look into the joints to tell them apart. A hard spray of water strips off the light clusters, and insecticidal soap or horticultural oil coats and clears the ones that cling.
Fix:
- Wash off light infestations with a strong stream of water
- Treat persistent mealybug infestations with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil per label
- Remove and dispose of heavily infested shoots
Toxicity
Weigela carries nothing harmful in its leaves, stems, or sap. It is absent from the ASPCA toxic-plant lists and rates as non-toxic to pets, livestock, and people, with no irritant in the clear sap. At most, a large mouthful of leaves leaves a pet with a brief stomach upset.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Weigela is safe for cats and stays off the ASPCA toxic list. A curious bite of leaf does no harm, though a big mouthful of the foliage may bring on a brief stomach upset.
Dogs None
Dogs can chew the leaves and stems without danger. The most a heavy eater gets is some passing tummy trouble, as with most garden foliage.
Horses Safe
Nothing in the leaves or sap of weigela harms horses, so the shrub is safe to grow beside a paddock or pasture.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can nibble the foliage safely. No part of the plant holds a toxin, so a stray bite off the stems is harmless.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep take no harm from weigela leaves, and the shrub is no risk to grazing stock.
Birds Safe
Weigela is harmless to birds, and its tubular spring flowers hold nectar that draws hummingbirds to the stems.
People Safe
The plant is non-toxic to people, and the clear sap carries no known irritant. Nothing on the shrub is grown to be eaten.
No special handling precautions; sap is not a known irritant.
Varieties
The species is handsome, but the named cultivars are where the leaf and flower color really shift. These are the ones to know by sight.
'Alexandra' WINE AND ROSES
A compact form at 4 to 5 foot, carrying dark purple leaves and a heavy flush of reddish-pink flowers along the spring stems.
'Verweig' MY MONET
A low dwarf of just 12 to 18 inches, its leaves marbled in pink, cream, and green beneath soft pink blooms.
'Tango'
One of the smallest weigelas, a tight 2 to 2.5 foot mound of purplish leaves studded with flowers in spring.
SONIC BLOOM
An upright form that opens lipstick-red, trumpet-shaped flowers in May and keeps setting fresh ones until frost.
How to propagate
Weigela grows readily from lengths of its own stem, a soft green cutting in summer or a firm bare one in the dormant months, so the plant is easy to copy piece by piece.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Late spring to early summer (late May through early July) · Several weeks to root; a full season to establish
The easiest cutting is a softwood piece taken from late May into early July off the current season's growth, still green and pliable. A good shoot bends without resistance yet snaps cleanly when bent hard. It puts out roots within a few weeks and fills out over a full growing season.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Dormant season (late fall to winter) · One growing season
A firmer hardwood cutting can be taken from the bare dormant stems through late fall and winter. This wood roots more slowly and needs a full growing season before the young plant is established.
Myths
Weigela's leaves and sap poison dogs and cats.
Weigela never made the ASPCA toxic-plant lists and is non-toxic to both dogs and cats, sap and all. A pet that chews down a lot of leaves may get a mild, passing stomach upset, and the plant does nothing worse.
Weigela can be cut back any time and still flower.
The buds form on the old wood, so a cut in late summer, fall, or winter strips next spring's flowers straight off the stems. Shape it right after the blooms fade to keep the color coming back.