Midnight Wine Shine Weigela

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

12-18 Inches

Mature Spread

2-2.5 Feet

Growing Zones

4 to 8

Like a fine wine, the foliage of this gorgeous petite shrub is a deep purple, nearly black, color that almost outshines the bright pink trumpet shaped flowers. Bred specifically for its distinctive foliage and disease resistance, Midnight Wine Shine Weigela may be the first of the weigelas to bloom each spring, getting a jump on traditional weigelas by several weeks. Pronounced ‘why GEE luh’, weigela florida is an old fashioned shrub with a long history. Discovered by Western explorers to Asia and brought back for cultivation, weigela appeared in Europe in the 1840’s.

Weigela is native to East Asia, specifically North China, Korea and Manchuria. It is a hardy shrub in Zones 4-8, and thrives in full sun with an alkaline, moist and well draining soil, but it will tolerate a wide variety of conditions and still do well. This is a slow growing shrub that may take upwards to a year to fully establish and add new growth, hence its petite habit, growing just 18 inches tall and spreading out 30 inches wide. This beautiful foliar shrub, with the added benefit of the beautiful pink flowers, makes a perfect hedge or sidewalk edging, and looks great when massed out for fullest effect.

Midnight Wine Shine™ Weigela Care

Weigelas prefer full sun, and will appreciate some afternoon shade in the hottest part of the day in hot regions. They do best in slightly alkaline soil, pH range of 5.5 to 7.5, but tolerates most soils including clay. Well draining soil is important, though, so amendment of clay soil to give it better drainage is a must. Use a tree and shrub slow release fertilizer at time of planting, and water it in well. After this initial watering, however, you should not have to water again unless you are experiencing an extended dry period, as this shrub is lightly drought tolerant.

Weigela flowers bloom each spring on old wood. If you prune this shrub at all, prune it immediately after the blooms cease so that the next spring you will have a new flush of flowers. Actually, you should not have to prune this shrub at all, unless you have some winter damage. Prune off the dead wood in early spring after initial leafing has begun. Deadheading is not required to keep shrubs in bloom year after year.

Midnight Wine Shine™ Weigela Spacing

Spacing your shrubs properly will help to alleviate any chances of powdery mildew setting in during wet spring weather. Allow 24 to 30 inches of space in between plants for best performance. Remember, this plant grows wider than it does tall, so plan accordingly. You may want to consider placing this shrub in a wide, sturdy planter on your patio for great spring flower color and then the foliage will take over the show and give you long summer and fall interest. It also makes a great ground cover when massed out in your landscape.

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