Abelia is native to eastern Asia (Japan west to the Himalaya) and southern North America (Mexico). This genus that contained about 30 species and hybrids.
Abelia also called as Vesalea, is a genus of the Caprifoliaceae family. This genus was named after English botanist Clarke Abel and described by Robert Brown in 1818.
IDENTIFY ABELIA PLANT
Abelia is native to eastern Asia (Japan west to the Himalaya) and southern North America (Mexico). This genus that contained about 30 species and hybrids.
It is an evergreen (from warm climate) or deciduous (from colder climate) shrub which reaching 1–6 meters tall with opposite or in whorls of three, ovate, glossy, dark green, 1.5–8 cm long leaves. The leaves turning purplish-bronze to red in autumn in the deciduous species.
Depending on the species, these shrubs blooms from April to September with 1-8, in a short cyme, pendulous, white to pink, bell-shaped with a five-lobed corolla, 1–5 cm long, and usually scented flowers that appear in the upper leaf axils and stem ends. The fruits are small, leathery, with one seed.
The type species of this genus is Abelia chinensis which originally from China. It is a delicate semi-evergreen shrub up to 2 meters tall with numerous graceful drooping shoots and dark green ovate-pointed leaves. It blooms with white bell-shaped flowers with reddish strokes for a long period.
The most common species in culture is Abelia grandiflora (Abelia chinensis x Abelia uniflora). The most popular varieties of this species are: Francis Mason (a less powerful shrub with golden leaves) and Edward Goucher (with purple-red flowers 2 cm long).
ABELIA PLANT CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Abelia plant grow well in full sun to part shade. A minimum of 6 hours direct sunlight is recommended for best foliage density and foliage color.
Temperature:
In summer, the temperature should be at 20-25 ℃. This plant need a rest period in winter with the temperature drop to 10-15 ℃.
Substrate and growing media:
This plant can be grown in the ground or in container. A well-drained soil is essential. As with so many other types of ornamental plants, constantly soggy or wet soil can cause root rot and other harmful plant diseases. The substrate can be turf, leaf soil, humus, peat and sand (in the ratio 1: 1: 1: 1: 1) with weak acidity (ranging between 5.0 to 7.5 on the pH scale).
Watering:
From the beginning of spring to autumn, this shrub need water plentifully, sometimes sprayed in hot weather. In winter, water carefully, making sure that the top layer of the soil does not dry out completely.
Fertilizer:
From spring to autumn, every two weeks feed the plant with mineral and organic fertilizers for indoor plants of usual concentration.
Rest period:
Abelia plant need a rest period from October-March. In this time the temperature should be at 10-15 ℃, watering limited, no fertilizer and increase the level of light.
Pruning:
Abelia is growing very fast and under favorable conditions for the spring-summer season gives a big increase. In order for the plant to have a more magnificent crown, at the end of winter - early spring it is cut to half the height of the shoots.
Propagation:
This shrubs is propagated by seeds and cuttings: Seeds are sown in January, seedlings grow quickly and in the same year, young plants can bloom. It can also reproduces in spring with apical stem cuttings, as well as shoots remaining after pruning. In order for the cuttings to be rooted better and faster, they are placed in a light substrate (sand, peat, perlite) maintaining the temperature at 20-25 ℃. Young plants grow into a beautiful bush and bloom in the same summer.
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