Growing the Margarita Abelia

Size and Appearance

The Margarita Abelia is a broad, low, evergreen bush with many branches that make it naturally dense and rounded. Broader than tall, you can expect it to be up to 4 feet wide after a few years, but only about 2 feet tall. You can control the size with trimming, and of course make a neat, formal hedge out of it too, but this variety is so naturally neat it is hardly necessary – that’s one less job in the garden to do. The leaves are in pairs along the stems, oval, pointed, a little leathery, and with a smooth, glossy surface. They always look fresh and clean. They are hardly more than an inch or so in length, and each one is edged with a broad, irregular band of butter yellow. No two leaves are identical, but the gold is always wide, and the center of the leaf is a rich mid-green. The overall look is bright, fresh and light, exactly the effect we look for from variegated plants. Young stems are red, and young leaves a slightly darker yellow, staying colorful though every season.

By mid-summer clusters of small white flowers develop at the ends of the stems. These are narrow funnels and sweetly fragrant. Hummingbirds and other pollinators are often attracted to them, bringing these beautiful creatures into your garden. Around the outside of each flower is a pinkish cup, called the calyx. When the tubular flowers drop these remain, keeping an attractive look for many weeks. Flowering continues well into fall, adding lots of interest to an already fascinating plant.

Using the Margarita Abelia in Your Garden

Wherever you feel your beds look a bit dull and ‘too green’, that is where to add the Margarita Abelia. It fits in well with just about any flower color, looking especially good with blues, silvers, purples, oranges and of course yellows. Place it according to the scale of the surrounding plants – its low height makes it great for fronting beds, and it has leaves to the ground, so it looks terrific along a pathway. Use it alone, in groups of 3, 5 or more, or as a continuous row. Space it 2 feet apart if you plant to trim it into a neat hedge, or up to 3 feet apart for more informal edging. In warm zones it is also wonderful in planters and tubs, below taller plants or surrounded by annual flowers and trailers.

Hardiness

The Margarita Abelia is semi-evergreen in zone 6, losing some leaves but soon leafing out fully when spring returns. From zone 7 it will stay completely evergreen year-round. If you use it in planters these can be left out all winter from zone 8, but in colder areas you might need to move it temporarily into a garden bed.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

The best position for the Margarita Abelia is in full sun, as that will keep it compact and brightly colored. It can take a little shade – perhaps in the afternoon for a couple of hours, but this is not a shade plant, and it will become loose and thin in too much shade. It grows perfectly well in almost any well-drained soil, and best with some moisture. Although drought tolerant once established, it does benefit from some watering, which keeps it lush and looking great. It’s a good choice for urban gardens and poor soils.

Maintenance and Pruning

Hardly ever bothered by pests or diseases, and normally ignored by deer, this is an easy plant to care for. A light spring trim, before the new growth comes, is a good way of keeping it perfect, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. After some years you can cut some of the oldest branches out completely low down inside the plant. This will encourage some strong new stems, rejuvenating it. If you want flowers, don’t trim after that first spring clipping.

History and Origin of the Margarita Abelia

A hybrid plant, Abelia x grandiflora has a long history in our gardens. It dates back to the Rovelli nurseries in Pallanza, on Lake Maggiore, in Italy. There, around 1886, two species of abelia from China – Abelia chinensis and Abelia unifora – were crossed together, producing a new plant that was better in gardens than either parent. Since then many different forms have been discovered. Back around 1997 Matt Clark, owner of Clark’s Liner Farm in Oxford, North Carolina, was working with a batch of an abelia variety called ‘Little Richard’. That plant has plain green leaves, but he spotted a branch that was variegated. Matt and his wife enjoy summer cocktails, but decided that they couldn’t get away with calling it ‘Margaritaville’, so settled for Margarita instead, for this new variety.

Buying the Margarita Abelia at The Tree Center

For low-maintenance gardening in mild and warm zones, abelia shrubs are right up there on the ‘must have’ list. There are many, all of them attractive and useful, but for our money when you want gold, turn to the Margarita Abelia. Brighten every bed or make colorful edging with this easy plant – you can scratch trimming of your ‘to-do’ list. Order now, because this new variety is getting rave reviews, and it will soon sell out completely.

Growing the Twist of Lemon Abelia

Size and Appearance

The Twist of Lemon Abelia grows into a dense, rounded evergreen shrub, with many slender branches making a bold mound about 3 feet tall, possibly reaching 5 feet if left untrimmed, with a broad form that will stretch 5 or 6 feet wide. It is densely branched, so it never looks bare and thin, but always bushy and full. The leaves are in pairs all along the branches, and they are oval, tapering to a point, a little more than one inch long. The edges of the leaves are shallowly scalloped, their smooth surface is glossy and bright, and they always look attractive. Young leaves and growing tips are coppery red, turning to lemon yellow as they expand. Older leaves become chartreuse green, and then in fall they turn bronzy pink, staying that way through the winter months. These lovely color changes mean this plant is always attractive, always colorful, always cheerful, and never boring.

From early summer into the fall, flowers appear in clusters on the stems. There are many flowers in every cluster, shaped like trumpets, fragrant, and light pink. They are surrounded by a flower-like structure called a calyx, which stays after the flower itself falls. These are bronzy-pink, and they add color for weeks.

Using the Twist of Lemon Abelia in Your Garden

With its perfect yellow and chartreuse tones, this is a plant that brightens any part of your garden, without conflicting with other colors, or looking out of place. Its subtle tones look perfect against dark green plants, so use it to brighten up dull spots in front of old evergreens. Line a pathway with it, or dot it around as color accents – wherever you plant it, this is one bush that will always look great anywhere. Because it is relatively wide for its height, it is a perfect filler for blank spots, since you can plant them 3 or even 4 feet apart, and yet create a continuous mass of vegetation. It clips easily too, so trim it into neat hedges or edging along a path or driveway.

Hardiness

The Twist of Lemon Abelia stays evergreen, and it is completely hardy, in zone 7 and all warmer zones. In zone 6 it may shed some leaves in winter, and some branches may die back. Don’t worry, this is not a problem. Just cut out any dead branches and it will bounce back with lots of new growth in no time at all.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

This bush grows well in both full sun and partial shade. With lots of sun it will flower more, and the colors will be stronger and more yellow. In more shade it will be more chartreuse, but that is a color that looks wonderful in shade. It grows well in any well-drained soil, except for extremely dry ones, and a little water during dry periods and some spring fertilizer will give you rich, lush growth and good coloring.

Maintenance and Pruning

Once established, there is really nothing much you need to do for the Twist of Lemon Abelia – it truly is a low-maintenance shrub. Some trimming in spring will keep it neat, compact and bushy. Once it is older, remove a few of the oldest stems close to ground level in early spring, to encourage new growth. You can also trim it regularly but be aware that this will reduce flowering – but encourage lots of bright new shoots. Pests and diseases are very rare, and deer usually leave it alone.

History and Origin of the Twist of Lemon Abelia

Most wild abelia come from China and Asia, and they were brought to Europe a long time ago. Two of them, Abelia chinensis and Abelia uniflora, were used in 1886 at the Rovelli nurseries in Pallanza, on Lake Maggiore, northern Italy, to create Abelia x grandiflora, a shrub that has been popular in warmer gardens ever since then. There have been lots of new varieties created from that original plant, and we stock several of the best. The one officially called ‘gretol’ was probably created in America some years ago, but we have no information about its exact origin. To bring it to a wider gardening audience, the Greenleaf Nursery Company has made it available with the trademark name, Twist of Lemon, one of their Garden Debut® ‘trusted plant’ selection of reliable garden shrubs.

Buying the Twist of Lemon Abelia at The Tree Center

When you are wondering what colors to plant, you can’t go wrong with lemon yellow or chartreuse. Among evergreen shrubs the Twist of Lemon Abelia is one of the best for those colors, so it is very popular, and in high demand. Our supply is limited, and with such high demand they will soon be gone, so order now and brighten up your garden for every day of the year.

you can expect Hopley’s Twist of Lime Abelia to live around 30 years

Growing Hopley’s Twist of Lime Abelia

Hopley’s Twist of Lime has a compact growth habit and moderate growth rate. Regardless of where you live within its hardiness range, it performs as an evergreen. However, those living within the coldest areas of its range of hardiness should plant it in a protected site and protect the root system during winter with a layer of mulch. If you have it growing in a container, you can also bring the container into a protected location. This Abelia stands up well to growing in urban locations.

When it comes to flowering, Hopley’s Twist of Lime Abelia blooms on new wood, so it is necessary to give it a light trimming in early spring so you get blossoms develop later on. If it looks like some of the branches became damaged during winter, wait until early spring to prune off the damaged areas. Sometimes the damaged looking wood is still alive and once the warm weather of spring arrives, it will bounce back to life and produce new leaves. The last thing you want to do is transfer diseases and pests to your Abelia, so sterilize your pruning tool’s blades before your start trimming. This is as easy as wiping them off with rubbing alcohol.

Another great attribute of Hopley’s Twist of Lime Abelia is that it is not bothered by any major pest or disease problems. However, if it is planted in soil that is continuously soggy it can develop root rot. Give it a feeding in spring and summer and it is good to go. With its low-maintenance requirements, ease of growth and care, this Abelia is a perfect choice for the lazy gardener or for those who feel they kill everything they touch. You cannot go wrong with Hopley’s Twist of Lime Abelia.

Uses on Your Property

With its low-growing and robust blooming habit, as well as year-round colorful foliage, you have a wealth of suitable uses for Hopley’s Twist of Lime Abelia within the landscape. Due to its small size, it is even suitable to grow in containers or above ground planter boxes. Just make sure that the container has bottom drain holes to prevent any problems with rot.

Another attribute is that it is deer-resistant, but also makes a great addition to pollinator or wildlife gardens as the flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. It works well used as a groundcover, used as a border lining flowerbeds or walkways through the garden, used in mass plantings where its elaborate color is sure to gain attention, or as a low-growing hedge. With its scented flowers, it also is a welcome addition to a scent garden.

With its bright and cheery variegated foliage, Hopley’s Twist of Lime Abelia makes a good specimen plant. It also works well as an understory planting, used around foundations or planted near an entranceway or porch where its colorful foliage and fragrant flowers will create eye-catching appeal. As long as it isn’t planted in soggy conditions, it also is suitable used around ponds or water features in the landscape. This Abelia makes an attractive addition almost anywhere you want to use it.

Planting Location

When selecting an appropriate location to plant your Hopley’s Twist of Lime Abelia, always plant in a location with its preferred light conditions of full sun to partial shade. In addition, if you are planting multiple plants, consider their mature width and give adequate space between them. You want to make sure there is sufficient air circulation between them, which cuts down on potential disease problems.

Although Hopley’s Twist of Lime Abelia grows in a wide range of well-drained soil types, it will perform best in an organically rich soil kept moist, not soggy, with regular water applications. Once established, it is relatively drought-tolerant, but especially during its first season of growth, you should water deeply on a regular basis.

History and Origins of the Hopley’s Twist of Lime Abelia

The genus of Abelia honors Dr. Clarke Abel, who was a naturalist and physician and was part of a British expedition to China in 1817, collecting various plants and seeds. Hopley’s Twist of Lime Abelia is an offspring from Abelia x grandiflora, which is a cross between Abelia x chinensis and Abelia uniflora, as well as a member of the honeysuckle family. Garden Debut® trademarked it. Rest assured, when you purchase our Hopley’s Twist of Lime® Abelia, you are receiving carefully grown plants in containers that have been grown in a nursery environment with the upmost care. They are sure to thrive in your landscape for years to come.

Growing Glossy Abelia

Glossy Abelia performs as either an evergreen, semi-deciduous or deciduous shrub, depending on your winter weather conditions. Those living in its warmest hardiness zones where freezes aren’t common can expect it to perform as an evergreen. However, those living in locations that typically receive temperatures dropping down to zero will see it perform as a deciduous shrub. The branches may actually die down to the ground is these locales, but rest assured, once spring’s warm weather returns so will new growth. Therefore, gardeners living in the coldest areas should plant Glossy Abelia in a protected location and protect its root system with a thick layer of mulch.

When it comes to flowering, Glossy Abelia blooms on new wood, so give the branches a light trimming once the weather starts warming in spring. If for some reason your shrub looks like winter killed some of its branches, wait until spring to trim off any dead sections. Many times wood that looks dead is actually still alive and will sprout new foliage in springtime. You don’t want to transfer any unwanted disease or pests to your Glossy Abelia, so always sanitize your pruning tool blades before making any cuts. This is as simple as wiping off the blades with rubbing alcohol.

Besides its hardiness, low-maintenance requirements and colorful appeal, any serious pests or disease problems don’t plague Glossy Abelia, provided it is planted and grown in its preferred conditions. This makes it another carefree addition to the garden.

Uses on Your Property

You will not be at a loss when it comes to all the many ways Glossy Abelia fits into your landscape. If you desire to attract beneficial pollinators to the garden, then it fits the bill as its flowers attract both butterflies and hummingbirds. It works quite well used as a hedge, screen or along a border. However, if kept pruned it loses some of its natural and attractive arching shape. If you happen to have an erosion problem, Glossy Abelia grows well planted on slopes to help control the loss of soil.

With its colorful and fragrant flowers, as well as its stunning display of fall leaf colors, Glossy Abelia makes a wonderful and eye-catching specimen. It also is attractive planted in mass groupings. Use it as a backdrop or in mixed gardens to help contrast other plants with different forms and leaf shapes. It works well as a foundation plant.

Glossy Abelia also grows quite happily in containers or above ground planter boxes. Just make sure the containers have bottom drainage. Bring color and fragrance to a porch or entranceway with its striking flowers and colorful foliage. It is sure to be noticed with its alluring appeal.

Planting Location

When deciding where to plant your Glossy Abelia, and especially if you are planting multiple plants, consider their height and width at maturity. You want to make sure you give adequate spacing between multiple plants so they receive proper circulation of air, which cuts down on problems with disease. It performs well grown in a site situated in full sun to partial shade. However, you will get the most blooms when it is grown in a sunny location. In addition, if you grow the Glossy Abelia in a site that is too shady the plants become thin and flowering ceases.

Even when grown in partial shade, plants won’t be as dense as those grown in sunnier locations will.

When it comes to appropriate soil conditions, Glossy Abelia grows best when planted in an organically rich soil that drains well, but kept moist. Especially during its first season of growth, give the shrub regular deep water application, as it’s moderately tolerant to drought conditions and becomes more drought tolerant as it matures.

History and Origins of Glossy Abelia

The genus of Abelia honors Dr. Clarke Abel, who was a naturalist and physician and was part of a British expedition to China in 1817, collecting various plants and seeds. Glossy Abelia is a cross between Abelia x chinensis and Abelia uniflora, as well as a member of the honeysuckle family. You are getting the best of the best when you purchase our Glossy Abelia, as they’ve lived their entire life in a nursery environment and inside containers, getting the absolute best of care. They are sure to grace your landscape with their colorful and fragrant beauty for years to come and give you healthy growth.

Growing the Twist of Vanilla Abelia

Size and Appearance

The Twist of Vanilla Abelia grows into a dense, compact, evergreen shrub reaching no more than 3 feet tall. It is more upright than many other abelia bushes, and it is not much wider than 2 feet. The neat leaves are just under 1½ inches long, oval, glossy and smooth. They taper to a pointed tip, and the edges are slightly irregular, with small indentations. All around the leaf is a fine white line, slightly irregular, but neat, giving definition and brightness to every leaf. On new leaves this edge is creamy yellow, but it quickly changes to a clean vanilla-white as the leaves mature. This color is held throughout the season, perhaps with some development of pink tones during the depths of winter, but generally stable and constant year-round.

The tubular flowers develop in clusters of about 15 blooms, each one opening for about 5 days. They are pure white and have a flaring mouth, and relatively large, with each one being an inch long and almost an inch across. They add a graceful elegance – and a pleasant sweet fragrance – to this charming plant. Blooming is more or less continuous from early or mid-summer all the way through fall. Butterflies, including exotics like the sphinx moth, love to feed on the flowers, and they have been known to attract hummingbirds too.

Using the Twist of Vanilla Abelia in Your Garden

The classic sophistication of white plants cannot be beaten, and for partial shade they are a godsend, since they remain bright, and don’t disappear in the shadows. Grow this plant among other small shrubs in mixed borders, or mass plant it to fill spaces in your beds. We recommend a spacing of 18 inches for continuous planting in beds or when planting a row for edging. Its smaller size makes this a perfect edging plant for larger beds, where they meet lawns, paths, terraces or driveways.

Plant it around the base of trees on your lawn for easy brightness. It is also a valuable plant for planter boxes and pots, where it gives you year-round neutral color as a backdrop to annual flowers of any color at all.

Hardiness

This easy-care shrub stays fresh and evergreen all year round in zone 7 and warmer areas. In zone 6 it may lose some leaves in winter, and perhaps some branches will die. A quick trim in spring will set it up for another perfect season, although it will probably only reach about 2 feet in zone 6.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

The Twist of Vanilla Abelia grows equally well in full sun and in partial shade – in fact some shade will make that edging even brighter white. It will also grow well in areas that are in shadow, but that have clear sky overhead. It grows in almost any well-drained soil, including poorer urban soils and difficult locations. It will grow best with some water and a little spring fertilizer, but it has no special needs at all.

Maintenance and Pruning

Once the Twist of Vanilla Abelia has established itself in your garden it can be left alone, without the need for regular maintenance. It can be trimmed from spring to fall, but summer trimming will reduce flowering, and a single trim in spring will keep it neat and compact unless you want a very formal look. Older plants can be rejuvenated by removing some of the oldest branches close to the ground in early spring. New shoots will quickly fill it in again. It normally has no pests or diseases and deer usually leave it alone.

History and Origin of the Twist of Vanilla Abelia

Abelia x grandiflora has been grown in warmer gardens ever since it was created in 1886. Breeders at the Rovelli nurseries in Pallanza, on Lake Maggiore, in northern Italy, crossed two wild species of abelia from China, Abelia chinensis and Abelia uniflora. The result was a vigorous hybrid plant that has given rise to many variations since its creation. Many of them have colourful foliage, and the variety named ‘Wevo 1’ was found as a different-looking stem on another variegated abelia called Sunshine Daydream (‘Abelops’). That plant has broad yellow leaf variegation, but in June of 2008 Landert de Vos noticed a branch that was different – with a narrow white variegation, growing on a plant of Sunshine Daydream that he was raising at his nursery in Reeuwijk, in Boskoop, the Netherlands. He patented his new plant in 2015 with the name ‘Wevo 1’, and it is being produced under that patent by the Greenleaf Nursery Company here in America. They are making it available as Twist of Vanilla, a trademark variety in their Garden Debut® collection.

Buying the Twist of Vanilla Abelia at The Tree Center

The sophistication of white plants is well-known, and widely loved. They feature in all the best magazines and websites, and they are always top sellers. The Twist of Vanilla Abelia won’t be around at our farm for long, so order now while our top-quality stock is still available.

Growing the Twist of Orange Abelia

Size and Appearance

The Twist of Orange Abelia is a densely-branched evergreen shrub, growing to 4 or 5 feet tall and wide. It has arching stems that create an attractive irregular outline, and a little trimming will keep it tight and compact, if you want that. The leaves are carried in pairs all along the stems, and they are about 1½ inches long, with a slightly leathery texture and a smooth, glossy surface. They are oval, tapering to a pointed tip, and always look clean, fresh and attractive. Each leaf is rich green with a broad, irregular edge along both sides that is pale yellow to creamy white. New stems are deep red, and the leaves are tinted red too, so that the yellow area becomes red or pink, and the green area becomes orange. Since these colors gradually fade as the leaves mature, no two leaves on the plant are identical, making a wonderful picture of shade after shade of red, orange, yellow and green, blending together. By late summer most of the leaves will be green and yellow, but then, as the cooler weather of fall arrives, they turn bright burgundy red, with lighter red edges, and hold that coloring all through winter, until the new leaves come again.

From mid-summer into fall flowers are carried in clusters all over the plant. These are fragrant, shaped like a funnel, and white, with a white outer structure like a cup holding the flower, called a calyx. These remain after the flowers fall, keeping up the flowering effect for weeks and weeks.

Using the Twist of Orange Abelia in Your Garden

Need a splash of color in your beds to brighten things up? Simply plant the Twist of Orange Abelia and the problem is solved. It makes a great backdrop to just about any other flowers and plants, especially golds, yellows, oranges, blues and silver. Plant it in the middle of larger beds, or at the back of smaller ones, or use it as highlights among green-leaf plants around your home. Plant a row along a driveway or path, scattered among other plants, or close enough together to become a continuous edging. Planted 2 feet apart they will soon fill in as a solid border, or in a large group for mass planting. This easy-care shrub is great planted anywhere around your garden as an accent, and it will be an instant success.

Hardiness

The Twist of Orange Abelia is completely hardy and evergreen in zone 7 and all the warmer zones. In zone 6 it will be semi-evergreen, losing leaves during winter and sometimes having branches die back. Simply trim away any dead parts in spring, once you see new growth coming, and it will soon be back. In colder areas the maximum height will be around 3 feet.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Both full sun and partial shade suit this plant perfectly. The leaf colors will be strongest in full sun, but a few hours of shade each day is hardly noticeable. The soil should be well-drained, but perfectly ordinary, just not too, too dry. Once established this plant is drought tolerant, but some moisture will give the most lush and full growth. It tolerates urban conditions and poorer soils well.

Maintenance and Pruning

Very little maintenance is needed, once the Twist of Orange Abelia is established. A light trim in spring will keep it neat, but don’t trim much after that, because you will reduce the flowering. Older plants can have some of their oldest branches taken out low down, again in spring, to make room for new growth and rejuvenate the plant. If you don’t mind losing the flowers you can trim regularly into a neat and colorful hedge. Pests and diseases almost never appear, and deer usually leave it alone.

History and Origin of the Twist of Orange Abelia

Abelia x grandiflora is a classic garden shrub, dating back to 1886, when it was created by crossing together two Chinese species, Abelia chinensis and Abelia uniflora. This was done in Italy, at the Rovelli nurseries in Pallanza, on Lake Maggiore. Since then there have been numerous new forms found and selected, but the one called ‘gretoo’ is outstanding. We sadly have no idea where this plant originated, but it was being overlooked until the Greenleaf Nursery Company made it available as part of their Garden Debut® trusted plant selection, using the trademark name, Twist of Orange.

Buying the Twist of Orange Abelia at The Tree Center

Nothing brightens your garden better than the Twist of Orange Abelia, so order now, while our limited stock is still available, because they will be gone very soon. You won’t regret adding such a colorful and easy-care plant to your garden.

Growing the Twist of Lime Abelia

Size and Appearance

The Twist of Lime Abelia is a dense, rounded, evergreen shrub with many arching branches, rising to a height of 4 or 5 feet, with a similar spread. It can be trimmed into a smaller bush, or into a hedge. The slender stems are covered all along their length with pairs of small leaves, about 1½ inches long, and oval, tapering to a point. The leaves are smooth, glossy and always attractive, and evergreen except in zone 6, where some may drop during mid-winter. The leaves are rich green, but with a wide, irregular, colored edge along both sides. On new shoots in spring the edge is buttery yellow, and as summer comes its turns a cream-tinted white. Then in fall the edges become pink and the green becomes bronzy, giving the bush an attractive look for the winter. Unlike some other variegated Abelia, this one is stable, and doesn’t keep producing stems with plain green leaves.

Flowering begins in mid-summer, and bunches of flowers are produced continuously into the fall. The small flowers are surrounded by a large papery calyx, which is creamy-white, complementing the leaf coloring. The sweetly-fragrant tubular flowers are pale lilac-pink, and after they drop the white calyx remains for many weeks, keeping the flowering effective over a long period. Butterflies, sphinx moths and occasionally hummingbirds will visit the flowers, bringing movement and color to your garden.

Using the Twist of Lime Abelia in Your Garden

Wherever you need some structure and brightness in your garden, that is where to grow the Twist of Lime Abelia. Plant it at the back of smaller beds, or in the middle of larger ones, or tuck it between evergreens around your home. Plant it along a path or driveway, as scattered plants or a continuous row, which can be trimmed if you wish into a hedge, or left untrimmed for a more casual edging. Space plants 2 to 3 feet apart for a continuous row, or for group plantings in beds. It grows well in planters in the warmest zones, where it will always look effective.

Hardiness

The Twist of Lime Abelia is completely hardy and evergreen in zone 7 and all warmer zones. During winter in zone 6 it will lose some leaves, and some branches may be killed back, but it will re-sprout quickly in spring, and soon look great again.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Grow in full sun for the best leaf color and most abundant flowering. However, this plant grows well in partial shade too, with just a few hours of direct sun each day. In zone 9 it will also grow in continuous light shade. Plant it in any well-drained soil, of any type, although very dry soils may not produce the most vigorous growth. A scattering of shrub fertilizer in spring will keep it lush and dense.

Maintenance and Pruning

No serious maintenance is needed for the Touch of Lime Abelia, which is very easy to grow. It can be trimmed to keep it more compact or pruned in spring. Remove a few of the oldest branches at the base, to encourage fresh new stems, and shorten back some of the longer branches at the same time. Remember that frequent trimming in summer will reduce flowering. Pests and diseases are almost never problems, and deer usually leave this shrub alone.

History and Origin of the Twist of Lime Abelia

Abelia x grandiflora is a hybrid plant created from two Chinese species, Abelia chinensis and Abelia uniflora. It first appeared in 1886, at the Rovelli nurseries in Pallanza, on Lake Maggiore in northern Italy. In the early 1950s, at Mason’s Nurseries in New Zealand a plant produced a stem that had white edges. This became the variety called ‘Francis Mason’. Sadly, it has a strong tendency to keep producing plain green stems, but in 1992, at Hopleys Nurseries in the small town of Much Hadham in England, a stem with golden yellow edges in spring grew from ‘Francis Mason’. This was named ‘Hopleys’, and it is superior and more stable than the earlier variety. This plant has been released in America by Greenleaf Nursery Company as part of their Garden Debut® trusted selections, with the trademark name Twist of Lime. You might also find this plant sold as Miss Lemon, but these are all the same variety.

Buying the Twist of Lime Abelia at The Tree Center

In 2009 ‘Hopleys’ won the Award of Garden Merit from the world-renowned Royal Horticultural Society of England, so you know how good it must be. We definitely know how popular it is, and how big the demand is for this bright and easy shrub. You should order now, because they won’t be on our farm for very long at all.

Growing the Canyon Creek Abelia

Size and Appearance

The Canyon Creek Abelia is an evergreen shrub that grows into a dense mound between 4 and 6 feet tall and wide. Many branches rise from the base, and branch repeatedly, making a solid dome of stems and foliage, with a tight, dense look. The small leaves are about 1½ inches long. They are oval and sit neatly in pairs along the stems. They are glossy and smooth, tapering to a point at the end and always looking clean and attractive. In spring the new leaves are a coppery pink color, turning to a pinkish yellow before settling on a crisp, fresh green for the summer. In fall they turn bronzy pink as the temperatures begin to fall, and they stay that way all through winter. In colder areas some leaves may fall, but in all warm zones this shrub is evergreen, giving your garden a great winter look.

Starting in May and continuing until frost or persistent cold sets in, clusters of flowers form at the ends of each stem. These are in two parts – the actual flower is white to very pale pink, and tubular, with a flaring mouth. It is deliciously fragrant too, which is always a good thing for shrubs to be. At the base of the flower is a star-shaped cluster that resembles a flower (called a calyx). These are colored a charming reddish-pink. These clusters last much longer than the flowers, adding lots of color to the bush for week after week.

Using the Canyon Creek Abelia in Your Garden

This shrub is perfect for giving both structure and color to your beds. In small beds it belongs at the back, where it becomes a colorful backdrop to your other plants. Be sure to allow enough room for its spread of at least 4 feet. In larger beds it can be planted alone or in groups in the middle, between taller shrubs and small trees, with smaller plants in the foreground. If you need informal hedges and boundaries it is a terrific choice, because it is naturally dense, but easily trimmed, if needed, into more formal shapes. It is tough enough to reliably grow in more difficult spots, and it will grow in drier areas that are partially shaded.

If 4 to 6 feet is too large for you, consider a closely related plant, the Rose Creek Abelia, which grows to just 3 feet tall and wide – perfect for places where you want a smaller shrub, and also great for planters and tubs.

Hardiness

The Canyon Creek Abelia is hardy in all the warmer zones from zone 6. In cooler areas it may lose some leaves in winter, but normally it is evergreen. Even if some of the stems die back a little in a cold winter, this plant will quickly regenerate and soon be looking great again.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

This very adaptable plant grows well in full sun, but it does almost as well in partial shade, with just a few hours of direct sun each day. It will grow in any well-drained soil, doing best in moist, richer soils, but still looking great even if your soil is not so good. Once well-established it is drought resistant and it can be grown in drier parts of the garden.

Maintenance and Pruning

A light trim in fall (or early spring in colder zones) is usually all that is needed to keep this plant attractive all year round. Shorten back any very long shoots to keep it compact. Old plants can have a few of the oldest branches removed to renovate it. Remove about one-third of the remaining branches at the same time. You can also trim it like a hedge, but you may lose some of the flowers if you do that regularly.

This plant is generally free of pests or diseases, and it is low-maintenance and easy to grow. It is usually ignored by deer.

History and Origin of the Canyon Creek Abelia

Most Abelia come from China, and they were first seen by Europeans in the early 19th century. Since then they have been popular plants in warmer gardens around the world. The vigorous plant called Abelia x grandiflora is a hybrid created around 1886 in northern Italy, at the Rovelli nurseries in Pallanza, on Lake Maggiore. It is a cross between Abelia chinensis and Abelia uniflora, and a popular plant which flowers over a very long period. The variety called ‘Canyon Creek’ was discovered at the Center for Applied Nursery Research in Dearing, Georgia, part of the University of Georgia. In 1997 Dr Michael Dirr’s team planted a group of 12 different types of Abelia plants that were currently being grown in gardens. There were several varieties of Abelia x grandiflora, and some varieties of Abelia chinensis as well. They collected seed from these plants and grew the seedlings. To begin they picked out 32 of the most interesting, and from them they later chose both ‘Canyon Creek’ and ‘Rose Creek’ to introduce to gardeners.

Buying the Canyon Creek Abelia at The Tree Center

We love to be able to offer the best to our customers, and the Canyon Creek Abelia is without doubt one of the best varieties available. Don’t waste your time and garden space on cheap, unnamed shrubs – always choose the best, you won’t regret it. But do it quickly, because the best always sell first, and these plants will soon be gone.