The illustrated growing guide
Weigela
Weigela florida
Family Caprifoliaceae
Est. zones 4-8
Old-fashioned charm rebuilt by breeders: colored foliage all season, hummingbird trumpets in May, sizes from 18 inches up. Under-planted for what it delivers.
Full Sun
Low water
Moderate growth
Attracts hummingbirds
Attracts beesI
Overview
Will weigela suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what weigela actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-8Weigela at a glance
Common weigela problems
- Almost none
- Twig Blight (rare)
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow weigela: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate weigela
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The year
What weigela asks for, month by month.
The weigela year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The weigela year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May bloom
- Jun bloom
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Weigela in the garden system
- Shrub layer shrub
- Nectary/insectary
What weigela is grown for
✓ Not known to be toxic
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of weigela, ruled as a catalogue.
Best weigela varieties & cultivars
'Wine & Roses' (burgundy leaf/pink trumpet); 'Spilled Wine' (low); 'My Monet' (mini variegated); 'Sonic Bloom' (rebloomer)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to weigelayet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Questions
Weigela questions, answered straight.
Is weigela safe for kids and pets?
Weigela is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
How do you propagate weigela?
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
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Elsewhere
Where weigela sits in the library.
Rose
Hydrangea
Common Lilac
Forsythia