May's Flower of the Month

Glossy Abelia

(Abelia grandiflora)

A glossy abelia has lived and bloomed on the vacant lot behind my home at least half a century. Planted by a gardener long gone, it has persisted and bloomed amidst the briars, yaupon, cherry laurels, and other plants that attempt to claim its space. Every summer the branches are laden with honey-scented, white, funnel-shaped flowers. Ornamental purple to bronze-colored sepals persist after the flowers drop. Arching branches spread out to form a dense, rounded, multi-stemmed shrub that usually tops out at six or more feet tall and wide.  

Glossy abelia is a cross between two species, Abelia chinensis and A. uniflora, both from China. Leaves are a lustrous dark green in summer, turning to shades of bronzy red in fall. New growth is mostly red. In most of Florida glossy abelia is evergreen, though it is semi-evergreen in the upper reaches of its range (to Zone 5).

Kinds 

Several cultivars of glossy abelia are available. ‘Francis Mason’ grows five to eight feet tall and has pink flowers and new leaves that are rich yellow. ‘Prostrata’ reaches about one and a half to two feet tall and has smaller leaves that turn purple-green in winter. ‘Sherwood’ tops out at three to four feet tall with a bit wider spread. It is a good plant for massing in sun or partial shade. Other cultivars include ‘Confetti’, John Creech’, ‘Little Richard’, and ‘Sunrise’. ‘Edward Goucher’ is a hybrid between Abelia x grandiflora and A. schumannii. It averages five by five feet at maturity and bears lilac pink flowers with an orange throat.       

Culture

Glossy abelia is easy to grow and maintain. Plant it in well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. As with most shrubs, it benefits from a layer of organic mulch. Fertilize young plants lightly in spring. Mature shrubs need little or no fertilizer, especially if they are well mulched. Water until well established, after which the shrubs are drought tolerant.

No serious pests are of any consequence. Occasional pruning will keep it attractive. Hard pruning in late winter will rejuvenate old plants. Flowers are produced on new wood, so they will flower the same year after drastic winter pruning. If the natural fountain shape is wanted, old canes should be pruned from the center of the plant at ground level. This dependable, old-time favorite is often grown as a clipped hedge, but to many it is more beautiful when allowed to grow into its naturally rounded, fountainlike form. 

Glossy abelia is propagated by hardwood or softwood cuttings. Although seeds are produced, they do not germinate dependably.       

I promise myself each time I notice the dependable abelia blooming among the overgrown weeds that I will take a cutting and try to get it started in my landscape. It will increase my chances of seeing more butterflies and hummingbirds, for they are frequent visitors.  

At a Glance

Scientific name: Abelia x grandiflora  

Say: a BEE-lee-uh x gran-dih-FLOR-uh

Common names: Glossy abelia, abelia

Family: Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family)

Relatives: Lonicera (honeysuckle), Sambucus (elderberry)

Origin: China

Zones: 5-9

Light: Sun/Part Sun

Water: Moderate/Low

Height/Width: 3-6/3-6 ft. tall and wide

Soil: Well-drained

Salt Tolerance: Moderate

Click here for a list of plants in the archives.