How to grow weigela
Find out how to grow floriferous weigela, in our detailed Grow Guide.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
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| Plant | yes | yes | ||||||||||
| Flowers | yes | yes | yes | |||||||||
| Divide | yes |
Plant Size: Height: 250 Spread: 250 |
Weigelas make the perfect garden shrub. They're hardy, low-maintenance, easy to grow and work well in a variety of situations, including mixed borders. Weigela is a deciduous shrub, with leaves that range from dark green to light green, golden as well as variegated shades. The funnel-shaped flowers are a hit with bumblebees, and range in colour from deep pink to yellow, appearing in early summer.
Where to grow weigela
Weigela is an easy-to-grow shrub that suits most growing conditions and most types of soil. Plant it in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. It won't flower well in full shade or in soils that are waterlogged.
When to plant weigela
The best time to plant weigela is in autumn or spring, when the soil is warm and not too dry. Avoid planting at any time when the soil is either frozen or waterlogged. Potted shrubs can be planted at other times of year, but it may take longer for the plant to establish and will require more watering.
How to plant weigela
Water your shrub before planting. Dig a hole that's twice the depth of the rootball and fork in some well-rotted garden compost, or bagged compost. Remove the shrub from its pot and tease out the roots if they are in a tightly packed spiral. Plant your shrub at the same depth it was in its pot, with the top of the rootball level with the surrounding soil. Backfill around the shrub with the soil you removed from the hole and firm in well. Water again after planting and regularly afterwards until it's established.
Some weigela are also suitable for growing in containers. Choose a compact or dwarf variety such as 'All Summer Monet', which grows to 80cm tall, or 'Picobella Rosa', which reaches only 40cm. Choose a large container, at least 45cm diameter, as this will stop it drying out as quickly, and fill with a soil-based, peat-free compost. Plant with the top of the rootball level with the surrounding compost and firm in. Water regularly as containers can dry out quickly.
How to care for weigela
Weigela are low-maintenance shrubs that are easy to look after. The main tasks to keep on top of are watering, feeding and mulching.
Watering – water newly planted shrubs regularly until they're established, especially when the weather is hot and dry. For weigela planted in containers, check frequently during hot weather to make sure the compost hasn't dried out.
Feeding – it's not vital to feed shrubs that are growing in the border, but to give them a boost, add a general fertiliser once a year in spring. For shrubs growing in containers, feed with a general purpose plant food between spring and later summer, following the instructions as to how much and how often to use it.
Mulching – add a thick layer of mulch around weigela in autumn to help keep moisture in the soil and to suppress weeds.
Winter care – weigela are hardy and don't need any special protection over winter.
How to prune weigela
The best time to prune weigela is after it has finished flowering, from June to July. Remove a few of the oldest stems each year. Use a pruning saw or loppers to cut out the oldest, thickest branches, cutting as close to the base as possible. Reduce the longest, new stems by about half, cutting just above a new shoot. This will help to thin out the shrub and let more air circulate around the centre. Remove any new shoots that are overcrowded or facing inwards to help open up the centre of the shrub.
Established weigelas also respond well to hard pruning if they have outgrown their spot – you can cut back stems to ground level to encourage new growth. See more in our Frequently asked questions at the bottom of this feature.
You can also prune during the dormant season, as shown by David Hurrion in this video guide.
How to propagate weigela
The best method of propagating weigela is by taking softwood cuttings. You can do this throughout the growing season.
Cut a non-flowering shoot around 10cm long from the shrub, cutting just below a leaf joint. Put it in a plastic bag so it doesn't dry out, if you aren't planting it immediately. Remove the lower leaves and plant it 3-4cm deep in a small pot of cuttings compost. Cover the pot with a plastic bag and place it somewhere warm until the cutting has rooted. This can take two to four weeks.
Pests and diseases
Weigela are generally free from pests and plants diseases but can be prone to the following:
Leaf and bud eelworms affecting the buds and leaves, causing brown and yellow foliage. Remove any infected leaves and buds and burn. There are resistant varieties of weigela available.
Capsid bug – these sap-feeding pests cause brown patches and small holes on leaves. Keep the area under shrubs clear of leaves and foliage that the bugs can hide in.
Brown scale – scale insects also feed on sap and are found on stems and leaves. Try removing with your fingernail or using insecticidal soap.
Honey fungus – this fungus can kill the roots of plants. You may notice dieback, pale foliage, a lack of flowers or honey coloured mushrooms on the bark of your plant. There are no treatments, so it's best to dig up and destroy the shrub.
Advice on buying weigela
- Choose your weigela carefully – they can grow to 2.5m so make sure you have enough space for it
- Check your weigela for signs of stress or damage, including crossing stems or pruning cuts, which indicate a problem which has been removed
- Weigela are available from garden centres, but you'll find greater choice at specialist shrub nurseries
Where to buy weigela
Weigela varieties to grow
Weigela 'Florida Variegata' – this is one of the best variegated cultivars. It’s smaller and more compact, with cream and green leaves, and pink flowers. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
- Buy Weigela 'Florida Variegata' from Crocus
Weigela ‘Bristol Ruby’ – has mid-green leaves, which are complemented by deep red, funnel-shaped flowers in summer.
- Buy Weigela 'Bristol Ruby' from Thompson & Morgan
Weigela middendorffiana – this variety has bright green leaves with pale yellow flowers, often with contrasting markings in the centre of the bell-shaped flowers.
- Buy Weigela middendorffiana from Thompson & Morgan
Weigela 'Looymansii Aurea' – this is a cultivar with golden-yellow leaves and pink flowers, that appear paler inside.
- Buy Weigela ‘Looymansii Aurea’ from Golden Hill Nurseries
Weigela ‘Naomi Campbell’ = 'Bokrashine' (PBR) – a compact, bushy, rounded shrub growing to about 1m. The dark green foliage is tinged with bronzy-purple and flowers are a dark pinkish-red.
- Buy Weigela ‘Naomi Campbell’ from Thompson & Morgan
Weigela middendorffiana 'Mango' – a compact cultivar, with a rounded shape, growing to around 1m. The flowers are creamy-yellow with orangey pink.
- Buy Weigela middendorffiana 'Mango' from Crocus
Frequently asked questions
How long do weigela bloom for?
Weigela flower for around two months, in early summer. Most varieties begin flowering in May.
How do you rejuvenate old weigela?
To rejuvenate an old weigela, you can hard prune it or renovate it over several years. To hard prune weigela, cut all the branches down to a framework that is 10-20cm above the ground between autumn and spring. In spring, mulch around the shrub. As the shrub regrows, prune out any thin, weak stems. For a less drastic approach, prune use a pruning saw to cut out half of the oldest stems, cutting them down to the base. Tidy up some of the newer shoots, or any that are overcrowded or crossing, cutting these back by half just above a sideshoot or bud. Shorten any long shoots that don't have any sideshoots, cutting back by a third. Take out a third of shoots each year, cutting back to the base.
