Weigela

Weigela (Weigela florida)

Old-fashioned Weigela

Full sun to part shade; medium moisture, well-drained; tolerates clay once established; pH 5.5–7.5.

6–10 feet tall and wide (species); compact cultivars 2–5 feet; blooms May–June with tubular funnel-shaped flowers in red, pink, or white on arching previous-year's wood; sporadic rebloom through summer; deciduous; spreads slowly by suckering.

Propagation: softwood cuttings root readily in early summer; hardwood cuttings in late fall.

Native region: Not native to Tennessee; ornamental introduction from China, Korea, and Japan.

Weigela is one of the most reliably cold-hardy and low-maintenance flowering shrubs for Middle Tennessee, performing well across Zone 6b/7a with minimal intervention. Like deutzia, it blooms on the previous season's wood — pruning should occur within 4–6 weeks after bloom in June to avoid removing next year's flower buds. Compact purple-foliage cultivars such as 'Wine and Roses' and 'Midnight Wine' hold their color best in full sun; foliage greens out in shade. Hummingbirds are consistent visitors to the tubular red and pink flowers in May. Powdery mildew can develop on foliage in shaded, humid sites in late summer but rarely requires treatment. Spider mites occasionally infest plants under drought stress in July–August; overhead irrigation and miticide sprays address active infestations.