Weigela
Weigela florida
Family Caprifoliaceae
Weigela was your grandmother's shrub; breeders rebuilt it into something better — wine-dark, gold, or variegated foliage that carries the whole season, plus trumpet flowers in late spring that hummingbirds treat as scheduled stops. Sizes now run from eighteen-inch dwarfs to six-foot classics.
It flowers, it stays colorful, it doesn't complain — pet-safe, unfussy, content in any sunny bed. For what it delivers, weigela stays strangely underplanted, which makes it feel like a find. Slip one into the foundation bed where a boring green meatball used to live.
Full Sun
Low water
Moderate growth
Attracts hummingbirds
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing weigela? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries weigela — Weigela florida, print Nº 507, “Weigela.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what weigela actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-8Weigela · Common problems
Common weigela problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Twig Blight (rare)
Weigela · Growing & propagation
Growing weigela
- Light
- Full Sun
Foliage cultivars insist
- Water
- Low-Moderate
Soil- Any drained · pH 6.0 - 7.0
Fertilizer- Spring feed lightly
Pruning- Right after main bloom (old wood)
Renewal-prune a third of old canes post-bloom; dwarfs need nearly nothing.
Spacing- 4-5 ft
How to plant & propagate weigela
- Propagate
- Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering
Weigela · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Weigela · Yearly calendar
The weigela year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomMay to June
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Weigela · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Weigela florida
Weigela in the garden system
- Shrub layer shrub
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Hummingbirds, Bees
Moisture- Upland / dry
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What weigela is grown for
✓ Not known to be toxic
Use- Hummingbirds
- Use
- Foundation color
- Use
- Low-care borders
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Weigela · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a weigela variety
'Wine & Roses' (burgundy leaf/pink trumpet); 'Spilled Wine' (low); 'My Monet' (mini variegated); 'Sonic Bloom' (rebloomer)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Weigela
Weigela florida
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Weigela florida
- Plant family
- Caprifoliaceae
- Growth habit
- Shrub · Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- WEFL2
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
for Weigela
Research from these sources
Publisher marks identify sources, not sponsorship or endorsement.
Questions
Weigela questions, answered straight.
Is weigela safe for kids and pets?
Weigela is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
How do you propagate weigela?
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
Elsewhere
Where weigela sits in the library.
Rose
Hydrangea
Common Lilac
Forsythia