May Shrub of the Month-Weigela

Remember when every well-landscaped yard used a purple-leafed barberry shrub? (Usually planted right next to a globe blue spruce or a yellow-tipped conifer) Plant lovers wanted that beautiful burgundy color, but like most things from Mother Nature, it came with a price … those nasty thorns! The old barberries grew HUGE, and if you were the one Dad assigned to trim them down…you learned to hate them.

Enter the purple-leaf weigela to the relief of gardeners (along with chore-hating teens) everywhere. The purple leaf weigela cultivars do not have thorns, and they FLOWER! They even come in assorted sizes like soft drinks; small, medium, and large.
It’s almost too good to be true.

As I said, Mother Nature always puts a price on things. The downside to the weigelas in St. Louis seems to be hardiness. Yes, they are rated for zones 4-8, but I see a lot of dieback every spring here. After trying them for over eight years, I feel they will be fine IF given a little protection, especially from the north and west.

Now about those sizes. Wine and Roses is the larger of the “winos” as I call the series, with “wine” as part of the trade names. Wine and Roses will grow to about 5′ high and 6′ wide. Fine Wine at 2-4′ or Spilled Wine at 3×3′ is your best choice for a medium size. Barely reaching 2′ high and wide is the minuscule Midnight Wine. All bloom a bright pink in mid-spring like most weigelas.

Weigela florida ‘Tango’ is another purple-leaf weigela that grows 4-5′ high and wide.

You don’t like purple-leaved plants? Some variegated cultivars are available with pretty white or cream edges and the same pink flowers. They can get up to 5′ high and wide. W. “My Monet” is a dwarf variegated cultivar that stays under 2′ high and wide.

All Weigela flower best in full sun but do decent in part shade. Although considered ‘low-maintenance,’ I like to give them a light trim right after they bloom.

What I love about this plant-that beautiful burgundy/purple leaf color all-season, or variegated depending on your preference. The pink flowers. Relatively low maintenance. NO THORNS!

What’s not so great-considerable dieback in spring some years. This can be trimmed off and cleaned up, but a bit of protection helps eliminate the problem. A light trim after flowering will keep any crazy branching in check.

Words and photos by Jo Batzer

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