Old-fashioned Weigela 'Bristol Ruby'

Weigela 'Bristol Ruby' is a ruby firework at the end of spring. Upright shoots become densely covered in bell-shaped flowers of a deep crimson-ruby colour, and against the dark green foliage the bush is visible from the far end of the garden.

This is a substantial shrub: 1.5-2.5 m tall and as much across, so it is planted as a specimen on the lawn, in informal hedges and in large borders. With age the branches arch towards the ground. It flowers most freely in full sun, and an old, congested bush is easily restored by hard rejuvenation pruning.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: In its homeland weigela flowers draw hummingbirds; in our gardens the bush hums with bumblebees and honeybees.
• Dimensions: Height 1.5-2.5 m, spread 1.5-2.5 m - reaching this over 10-20 years.
• Hardiness: It withstands frosts down to -34 °C (USDA zone 4).
• Flowering: In May-June the shrub is densely covered with deep crimson-ruby bell-shaped flowers.
• Light: It grows in sun, partial shade and even full shade, but the most abundant flowering comes in full sun.
• Soil: It readily takes chalk, clay, loam and sand of any pH - as long as the soil is moist but well-drained.
• Watering: Watering is medium: the shrub likes moderately moist soil, neither drying out nor standing wet.
• Care: Prune right after flowering (RHS group 2); the shrub responds well even to hard renovative pruning.
• Landscape use: A bright accent for city and courtyard gardens, coastal and cottage gardens, hedges and flower borders.
• Origin: The genus is named after the German professor Christian Ehrenfried Weigel, and the epithet florida means 'free-flowering'.