Red Prince weigela

Sun

Full sun for the most flowers; tolerates partial shade but flowers less freely.

Water

Moderate; keep the root zone evenly moist while establishing. Once established, water deeply during prolonged dry spells.

Soil

Moist but well-drained soil, including loam and reasonably drained clay; tolerates acidic, neutral and mildly alkaline conditions.

Height

4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m)

Spread

4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m)

Flowers

Clear red, trumpet-shaped flowers in late spring and early summer, sometimes followed by scattered flowers in late summer.

Foliage

Opposite, oval green leaves with pointed tips and toothed edges; autumn colour is usually unremarkable.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.3 ft (0.7 m)

3. After 2 years

   3 ft (0.9 m)

4. After 3 years

   4 ft (1.1 m)

5. After 5 years

   5 ft (1.5 m)

   full size

About 5 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply during dry weather for the first two growing seasons.
• Spread a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) layer of organic mulch over the root zone, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Apply a light dressing of compost in spring; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding, which encourages leaves at the expense of flowers.
• Allow room for its mature spread rather than repeatedly clipping it to fit a narrow space.
• Avoid sites that remain waterlogged in winter.

Pruning. Prune just after the main flowering display, shortening flowered shoots to strong side growth and removing up to one-third of the oldest stems at ground level if the shrub is crowded. Avoid routine autumn or early-spring pruning, which removes wood carrying the next main crop of flowers.

Early spring

Renew mulch and add a light dressing of compost if growth was weak the previous year.

Spring

Plant container-grown shrubs once the ground is workable, and water thoroughly.

Late spring

Check tender shoots for aphids and wash off small colonies with a firm spray of water.

Early summer

After the main flowers fade, thin crowded stems and shorten branches only where needed.

Summer

Water deeply during extended dry spells, especially around recently planted shrubs.

Autumn

Plant in mild regions while the soil is still warm; avoid pruning healthy shoots.

• Use toward the back of a mixed border, with lower perennials hiding the bare bases of older stems.
• Plant as an informal flowering hedge where its branches can spread without shearing.
• Combine with blue-flowered catmint or hardy geraniums to contrast with the red flowers.
• Use as a flowering specimen beside a lawn or path, leaving room for its mature width.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, English country, Traditional, Wildlife garden, Low-maintenance and Native hedgerow.

Plant it with: Catmint, Hardy geranium, Peony, Lady's mantle, Ornamental onion and Switchgrass.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar for bees and attract hummingbirds where these occur in North America. The branching growth offers shelter for small birds.

• Few flowers: provide more sun, avoid high-nitrogen fertiliser and prune only after the main flowering period.
• Aphids on young shoots: wash them off with water and encourage ladybirds and other predators; use insecticidal soap if an infestation persists.
• Powdery mildew: improve airflow by thinning crowded stems, and prevent drought stress; minor outbreaks rarely need treatment.
• Root decline in wet soil: improve drainage or move the shrub to a better-drained position; do not keep watering already saturated ground.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses; no part is generally recognised as poisonous. It is not an edible plant, and eating plant material may still cause stomach upset.

• Beauty bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis)

  Beauty bush has pale pink, yellow-throated flowers in clusters and conspicuously peeling bark on older stems, rather than the clear red flowers of Red Prince.

• Deutzia (Deutzia spp.)

  Deutzias usually bear white or pink, open, star-shaped flowers with separate-looking petals; weigela flowers form a distinct trumpet.

Weigela honours the German botanist Christian Ehrenfried Weigel, while 'Red Prince' refers to the cultivar's red flowers.

Propagation. Take softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer, or semi-ripe cuttings later in summer. Root them in a free-draining propagation mix under humid conditions; seed will not reliably produce plants identical to 'Red Prince'.

Accepted botanical name

Weigela

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.