Abelia x grandiflora
Encyclopedia
Abelia × grandiflora is a hybrid Abelia
, raised by hybridising Abelia chinensis
with A. uniflora
. It is a deciduous
or semi-evergreen
multi-stemmed shrub
with rounded, spreading, or gracefully arching branches to 1-1.8 m tall. The leaves
are ovate, glossy, dark green, 2–6 cm long. The flower
s are produced in clusters, white, tinged pink, bell-shaped, to 2 cm long. Unlike most flowering shrubs in cultivation, the Glossy Abelia blooms from late summer to well into the autumn.
at Pallanza (now Verbania)
, on Lake Maggiore
in Italy
. It is used as an ornamental plant
in specimen plantings in gardens, or in a mixed border with other shrubs. Propagation
is by cuttings. Variegated forms are also available commercially.
Synonyms include Abelia rupestris Hort., Linnaea pringiana Graebn., and L. spaethiana Graebn..
Abelia
Abelia is a genus of about 15-30 species and many hybrids in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae Some authors, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, considers Abelia and related genera to belong instead in the segregate family Linnaeaceae, also including such genera as Linnaea, Abelia,...
, raised by hybridising Abelia chinensis
Abelia
Abelia is a genus of about 15-30 species and many hybrids in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae Some authors, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, considers Abelia and related genera to belong instead in the segregate family Linnaeaceae, also including such genera as Linnaea, Abelia,...
with A. uniflora
Abelia
Abelia is a genus of about 15-30 species and many hybrids in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae Some authors, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, considers Abelia and related genera to belong instead in the segregate family Linnaeaceae, also including such genera as Linnaea, Abelia,...
. It is a deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
or semi-evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
multi-stemmed shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
with rounded, spreading, or gracefully arching branches to 1-1.8 m tall. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are ovate, glossy, dark green, 2–6 cm long. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are produced in clusters, white, tinged pink, bell-shaped, to 2 cm long. Unlike most flowering shrubs in cultivation, the Glossy Abelia blooms from late summer to well into the autumn.
Cultivation and uses
Abelia × grandiflora was first raised in 1886 at the Rovelli nurseryNursery (horticulture)
A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. They include retail nurseries which sell to the general public, wholesale nurseries which sell only to businesses such as other nurseries and to commercial gardeners, and private nurseries which supply the needs of...
at Pallanza (now Verbania)
Verbania
Verbania is a city and comune on the shore of Lake Maggiore, Piedmont, in northwest Italy, about north-west of Milan and about from Locarno in Switzerland.-Overview:...
, on Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest of Italy and largest of southern Switzerland. Lake Maggiore is the most westerly of the three great prealpine lakes of Italy, it extends for about 70 km between Locarno and Arona.The climate is mild...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is used as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
in specimen plantings in gardens, or in a mixed border with other shrubs. Propagation
Plant propagation
Plant propagation is the process of creating new plants from a variety of sources: seeds, cuttings, bulbs and other plant parts. Plant propagation can also refer to the artificial or natural dispersal of plants.-Sexual propagation :...
is by cuttings. Variegated forms are also available commercially.
Synonyms include Abelia rupestris Hort., Linnaea pringiana Graebn., and L. spaethiana Graebn..