Abelias are popular, pretty garden shrubs known for their bright blooms. The most commonly grown is the hybrid Abelia x grandiflora (Glossy Abelia; hybrid Abelia chinensis x Abelia uniflora). This specimen is a rounded, spreading, multi-stemmed shrub with gracefully arching branches up to 120 inches tall, with ovate, glossy, dark green, semi-evergreen leaves to 1 inch long, and clusters of white-tinged-pink, bell-shaped flowers to a half-inch long.
Flowering typically occurs from early summer to late winters. Flowers are small, trumpet shaped, pink and white. These usually appear in the upper leaf axils and stem ends, 1 to 8 in a cluster. Many people enjoy their beautiful fragrance.
The genus has around 30 species, with different traits like flower size, color, and growing pattern. Abelia x grandiflora is an interspecific hybrid between A.chinensis and A.uniflora.
About half of the leaves fall during colder climate and the rest take deep red coloration. After foliage also this plant is attractive as its star shaped calyx is still adhesive to the plant.
The abelia can be used for specimen, grouping, or mass for shrub borders or foundations. It is also effective as an informal hedge or low screen in southern areas where frost kill is not a concern. Can be grown on mass, slopes, or banks for attractive shrubby cover and erosion control.