About
Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope' PBR (v) is a compact, variegated shrub that produces fragrant, pink-tinged white blooms during the summer and autumn months. Its leaves transition from yellow and green to deeper shades, eventually exhibiting orange and red tones in the fall. In cooler climates, it behaves as a semi-evergreen rather than a fully evergreen plant.
About the genus
Abelia encompasses a range of deciduous and evergreen shrubs as well as small trees. The leaves can be arranged in pairs or whorls, while the flowers, which are typically funnel or trumpet-shaped, appear in clusters at the axils or tips of branches during the summer and fall. These blooms are occasionally accompanied by noticeable, vibrant calyces.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- West-facing, East-facing, South-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens
- Fragrance
- Flower
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Easy to grow in fertile, well-drained conditions, although not fully hardy; requires a sheltered, sunny position, in colder areas a south or west-facing wall would suit
- Pruning
- Pruning group 8. May need hard pruning ( Pruning group 6 ) every 3 to 4 years
- Propagation
- Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer for home use
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to honey fungus