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How to Grow Weigela Shrubs (The Complete Guide)

Beautiful pink flowers of weigela florida blooming in the garden.
Photo Credit
Billysfam
Botanical Name
Weigela spp.
Plant Type
Shrubs and Bushe
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Part Sun
Soil pH
Varies
Bloom Time
Spring
Flower Color
Pink
Red
Hardiness Zone
4
5
6
7
8
9
Special Features
Attracts Hummingbirds
Attracts Pollinators

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Learn how to plant, grow, and care for weigela

Andy Wilcox
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These pretty flowering shrubs provide a pop of bright spring and early summer color and grow well in most areas. They’re a low-maintenance landscaping solution, plus they attract hummingbirds! Learn how to plant, grow, and care for weigela shrubs.

About Weigela

Weigela (why-GEE-luh) is a genus of several flowering deciduous shrubs. They are spring bloomers, although some cultivars will rebloom later in the summer. Their tubular flowers are quite attractive to bees, butterflies, and, of course, hummingbirds.

Most cultivars on the market today are hybrids, and plant breeders have developed many flower and foliage colors. They are native to Asia and hardy in USDA Zones 4 to 8 or 9. 

Flower color varies from white to all shades of pink and red. Foliage is not limited to green and can be a major reason to add these upright, arching perennials to your landscape. New varieties have lovely leaves in creamy variegations, darker purples and burgundy, and, of course, green.

Weigelas often experience some winter dieback, but they are quite hardy. They’re available in sizes from dwarf 12 inch plants up to large shrubs, which may grow to heights of 10 feet. Most are easily kept at about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide.  

Because they grow quickly, these plants are a great choice for privacy shrubs, too. 

weigela shrub in full bloom with purple-pink tubular blossoms
Weigela shrub in full bloom with purple-pink tubular blossoms. Credit: Ritta Rina
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Planting

Weigela is planted in the same way as other perennial shrubs. While they love full sunshine in most of their range, gardeners at the far southern extents will do well to plant them in areas with shelter from afternoon sun. These shrubs tolerate clay soil, as long as it drains. They like evenly moist soil but won’t tolerate soggy conditions.

These shrubs are quite versatile. They can be used to create a border along a fence, as plantings under a window or deck railing, or as part of a larger multi-species hedge. They serve quite effectively as anchors to a long perennial bed and attract all the neighborhood hummingbirds to your yard.

When to Plant

Weigelas should be planted in spring, after the frosts have moved on, or in early fall. However, if you’ve lucked out and found one at the end-of-season nursery plant sale, snag it. They can also be planted in summer with a bit more care regarding watering.

How to Plant

Select a location with good drainage. Weigela likes moist but not soggy soil. They flower brightest with full sunshine.

  • Dig a hole 2 to 3 times as wide as the root ball and the same depth. Don’t dig a well; instead, shape the sides of the hole to be sloped like a bowl.
  • Test fit the plant, ensuring the crown is the same height when planted as it was in the nursery pot.
  • Work some compost into the soil and plant. If the roots are heavily circled or overgrown, first loosen them using a garden trowel or soil knife. Then, cut any girdling roots.
  • Set your plant in the hole and backfill with the soil you removed. Firm the soil as you go to eliminate air pockets around the roots.
  • Form a shallow ring around the plant with any leftover soil—it will help water infiltrate at the root zone instead of running off.
  • Give your newly planted weigela a good, long drink. A couple of gallons should do it.
  • Mulch around the base, but don’t pile mulch around the stem. Make a flat disc of mulch about 3 inches deep and extend at least a foot from the stem.

Growing

Weigela grows best in full sunshine but does fine with a bit of dappled shade. Water newly planted shrubs weekly for the first growing season and more often if the weather gets dry and hot. The first season is the most critical, as the plant has suffered some transplanting shock and is working on supporting itself with disturbed roots. Fertilize weigela shrubs with any product meant for woody plants.

While these shrubs are fantastic spring bloomers, their reblooms later in the summer are more subdued. Look for cultivars with good reblooming characteristics, or plant them with other shrubs and perennials that bloom later in the year, allowing each to shine in its own time.

Pruning Weigela

Pruning keeps them looking their best, and while it should be done annually, don’t worry–it only takes a minute or two. Weigela blooms on both new and old wood. The big spring flush is on old wood, and the plant reblooms later in summer on new wood.

This shrub should not be pruned in the winter. Pruning for shape and size is best performed after the spring flowering is over to avoid pruning off all of next year’s blooms. Learn more about when to prune shrubs and trees. You should still remove old, tired, mature branches at any time. 

Of course, you can adopt the no-prune routine too! Unpruned weigelas form a graceful fountain of branches but can get a bit wild and straggly. If that’s your aesthetic, no pruning other than removing dead branches is needed.

Types

While weigela is often pink and white, we’re big fans of the ruby red flowering varieties. (See more flowers that bloom red.) 

  • ‘Red Prince’ is a compact mid-sized shrub, reaching about 5 to 7 feet tall and wide. Its deep, ruby-red blooms are a spot of intense color in the spring landscape, and it is a good rebloomer later in the year. It’s also quite cold hardy, and it regularly survives Zone 4 winters with little damage.
  • ‘Wine and Spirits’ is a dark-foliage variety with creamy white flowers. Dark purple foliage covers an arching form, providing interest after the flowering time has passed. It’s hardy in USDA Zones 4 to 8.
  • ‘My Monet’ is a variegated foliage dwarf variety that reaches about 2 feet tall. It does well as a low-border planting or in containers. Foliage is mint green and white, with pink blooms in spring and again later in summer. It also works as an effective ground cover and tolerates shade more than other varieties.
  • ‘Bristol Ruby’ grows more upright than most weigelas, which can tend to look messy if not pruned. It’s very hardy and well-formed, and blooms crimson flowers in late spring and early summer.
Weigela florida 'Bristol Ruby' close-up
Weigela florida ‘Bristol Ruby’ Credit: Reflexpixel
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Wit and Wisdom

  • Weigelas are in the honeysuckle family, which you might suspect because they both exhibit similar trumpet-shaped flowers.
  • Some winter dieback is normal in colder climates, and this can be pruned off in late winter when the dead stems can be identified by a lack of buds.

Pests/Diseases

Weigelas are not often bothered by pests or diseases as long as they’re grown in a well-draining location.

Shrubs and Trees
About The Author

Andy Wilcox

Andy Wilcox is a flower farmer and master gardener with a passion for soil health, small producers, forestry, and horticulture. Read More from Andy Wilcox
 

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