Peach Perfection® Abelia

For a more colorful garden with no extra work, choose shrubs that give you colored foliage as well as flowers – like the Peach Perfection™ Abelia. Begin in spring with bold orange new leaves, which gradually turn to warm yellow, while the stems remain a glowing red. By early summer flower-power kicks in, with trusses of small white flowers set in pink cups (the sepals) which persist after the flowers drop, keeping that coloring predominant. Flowering goes right into the fall, and the foliage is semi-evergreen, especially in the warmest zones. With the combination of all this going on you are sure of color in your beds, and the good news is that abelia is very easy to grow, even for total beginners. Growing no more than 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide, this compact shrub rarely even needs trimming, and will brighten your shrub beds, fill blank spaces in existing beds, make a great low hedge, and look terrific in planter boxes and pots as well. For hedges, space plants about 2 feet apart. Talk about perfection, and what a peachy outlook for your garden.

• Foliage begins orange and then turns warm yellow
• White flowers right through summer and fall
• When flowers fall the pink sepal cups remain, staying colorful for months
• A great choice for low hedges, filling shrub beds, or growing in pots
• Terrific shrub for new gardens and new gardeners

Plant the Peach Perfection™ Abelia in a spot in full sun, or with just a touch of shade. It will grow happily in most garden soils, as long as they are well-drained, and don’t dry out too much. For perfect growth work some good compost into the soil when planting, and water new plants regularly. Once it is growing well it will tolerate some drought, but prefers to have a little water from time to time. It has some preference for acidic to neutral soils, but will tolerate slightly alkaline ones if necessary. It isn’t troubled by pests or diseases, and deer normally leave it alone. Trim as needed in early spring or fall, and after a few years start removing a couple of the oldest stems in spring by cutting them off close to the ground. This encourages new growth that keeps your bush vigorous and youthful.