Abelia Tree (Abelia x grandiflora)

Depending upon the climate of a certain place, Abelia tree can be deciduous and evergreen. It’s a shrub with a beautiful arching structure. The plant appears to be covered with an abundant layer of pink flowers in the summer. Their leaves turn bronze, red and purple in the fall. The shrub is commonly known as glossy abelia.

Native to Italy, Abelia is found across gardens of the cooler zones. In cooler places, the plant shows deciduous pattern. It should be planted at a place having low traffic.

Size & Shape

The Abelia tree grows up to three to six feet tall. It grows into a rounded shape with arched branches.

Exposure

The shrub is planted at a site where sun is abundantly available, but for few hours. The time for which the shrub would be exposed to sun, should be full sun.

Its drought tolerance is way more than any other terrestrial shrub. However, the sac like structures in its body parts serves as water reservoirs when the soil faces lack of water.

Foliage/Flowers/Fruit

The leaves are dark green, ovate in shape and three fourth to one inch long. They turn into bronze and reddish during the fall. The flowers are fragrant, look like bells and are white or pink. They form in clusters. They are a good choice if one wants to make use of some flowers in summer and fall. The fruit is a tiny sterile achene. It shouldn’t be planted as it won’t grow.

Use

Abelia tree can be planted in a garden that doesn’t attract hummingbirds or butterflies.

These can be planted to cover slopes so that the soil will be resistant to erosion.

Growing Tips

The planting soil must be moist, mildly acidic, rich with biowastes and should have good drainage. The shrub is propagated with the help of cuttings as the seed is sterile.