Glossy Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora): A Graceful, Long-Blooming Shrub

Quick Facts

• Type: Evergreen to semievergreen shrub
• Zones: 4–24, 28–35
• Sun: Full sun or partial shade
• Water: Regular

Description

This mounding, arching shrub grows 6–8 feet tall and 4–5 feet wide. Oval, glossy leaves (½–1 inch) turn dark maroon in winter in mild zones; some drop in colder areas. The real show begins in early summer and continues through fall: clusters of tubular white or pink-tinged flowers.

Care Tips

• Best in sun, tolerates shade.
• Adapts to regular soil.
• Stems freeze at 0°F but usually recover to bloom the same year (at reduced height).
• Pruning: Avoid shearing—it ruins the graceful form. Instead, selectively remove branches at ground level.