I have a couple of weigelas in my landscape, but my all-time favorite is my variegated one. This shrub has anchored the corner of my house for many years, blooming profusely every year. Their light green arrow-shaped leaves have edges of creamy white that set off the beautiful pink flowers through early summer. I love the way the arching branches are loaded with their tubular flowers. These tubular flowers provide nectar that attracts pollinators in droves, and you will often see bees, butterflies and hummingbirds visiting them.

Another reason to add these shrubs to your garden is that some plant names are just fun to say and this is definitely one of them: why-GEE-luh! The genus Weigela was named in honor of German botanist Christian Ehrenfried von Weigel.

Weigelas belong to the honeysuckle family. They are a deciduous shrub, meaning they seasonally lose their leaves. They are best planted in full sun but can tolerate partial shade as well. My variegated weigela grows to about 5 to 6 feet tall and wide, making it a striking and substantial presence in my landscape. They thrive in zones four through eight when planted in well-drained moist soil, allowing them to establish a good root structure. A well-balanced slow-release fertilizer in early spring is recommended. I must admit that mine have been neglected on that note and seem to get along just fine.

Pruning can be done after they have bloomed if you want to keep a certain size or shape. I usually just prune out the dead or limbs that have grown diagonally in the winter or early spring.

You will find a huge palette of weigela cultivars that may include those with green, purple, golden or variegated foliage. Flowers can range from white through shades of pink to deep red. You can also find the right size to fit into your landscape with cultivars’ growth ranging from dwarf size to six feet. They can be a great statement shrub or can be planted in a row to form a privacy hedge.

My next project is making soft wood cuttings to start new shrubs to add to my landscape. I’ll work on an article on soft wood cuttings so you can give this a try with a favorite from your landscape.

Baytos is an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Mahoning County.