On Warm, Still Evenings, Abelia’s Tiny Bells Catch the Light and the Whole Shrub Seems to Glow at the Edge of the Path.

Long, Easy Flowering Season

One of Abelia’s greatest charms is how long it stays in flower. While many shrubs give you a few weeks of colour and then retire, Abelia quietly carries on from early summer right into autumn, peppering its arching stems with dainty, bell-shaped blooms. It’s the sort of plant that “earns its keep” in the border, always offering something to catch the eye when other things are between seasons.

  • Long, Easy Flowering Season
  • Neat Shape and Ever-Tidy Foliage
  • Soft Colour That Plays Well With Others

At a Glance:

Common name: Abelia

Latin name: Abelia × grandiflora

Size in UK gardens: Typically 1–2m tall × 1–2m wide over time. Suits most gardens.

Best position: Full sun or light dappled shade, in a warm, sheltered spot (ideal against a wall, in a mixed border or near a path).

Soil: Moist but free-draining garden soil – not heavy, waterlogged clay. Happy in most soils as long as it drains reasonably well.

Flowering time: Long flowering season from summer into autumn (usually June–October) with clusters of small, tubular, pink-white flowers.

Fragrance: Many forms have a light, sweet scent, especially noticeable on warm, still days and in sheltered corners.

Hardiness: Generally hardy in most parts of the UK (to around –10 °C or lower) – may need a little shelter in very cold, exposed gardens.

Care level: Easy and forgiving – enjoys sun or light shade, appreciates regular watering in dry spells, and responds well to a light trim after flowering.
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Care at a Glance:

Planting time: Best in spring or early autumn so roots can establish in moist, warming or still-warm soil. Container-grown plants can be planted at most times, as long as the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged.

Watering: Keep well watered in the first growing season, especially in dry spells, so roots can knit into the soil. Once established, water during prolonged dry periods, particularly if grown in a pot.

Feeding: Give a light feed in spring with a balanced shrub fertiliser or a top-dress of garden compost to support fresh growth and flowering. No need for heavy feeding.

Pruning: Light – tidy and shape just after the main flush of flowers, removing any dead or crossing stems. Every few years you can take out one or two of the oldest stems at the base in late winter to keep the shrub young and bushy.

Winter: Generally hardy, but in colder or very exposed gardens a mulch around the base will help protect roots. Young plants benefit from a little shelter from cold, drying winds; some leaf drop in winter is normal and new growth follows in spring.

Varieties We Usually Stock

Availability is always changing, so please check with us if you have a particular variety in mind.

Acer campestre

Acer campestre 'Elsrijk'

Acer campestre 'Queen Elizabeth'

Acer campestre 'Carnival'

Frequently Asked Questions

Most of the abelias grown in UK gardens are best described as semi-evergreen. In mild, sheltered gardens they will often keep the bulk of their leaves through winter, looking almost evergreen.

In colder or more exposed spots, they may lose more foliage and look barer by late winter, but fresh growth usually appears strongly from spring onwards. Don’t be alarmed if yours drops some leaves in a hard winter – as long as the stems are healthy, it will leaf up again when the weather warms.

In typical UK conditions, most forms of Abelia × grandiflora reach around 1–2m tall and wide at maturity. Growth is fairly moderate – you’re not dealing with a “monster” shrub – and the natural mounded shape means it sits very comfortably in an average border.

With light pruning after flowering, you can easily keep it more compact. That makes abelia a good choice for small and medium-sized gardens, front gardens, and even narrow borders where you want a shrub that won’t take over.

One of abelia’s best qualities is its long flowering season. In many gardens it starts producing flowers from early summer (around June) and carries on well into autumn, often until October in a good year.

Rather than one big, short-lived display, you get a steady succession of small, tubular flowers that keep the shrub looking interesting for months. This makes abelia particularly useful for filling that mid- to late-season gap when earlier shrubs and spring bulbs have finished.

Yes – Abelia grows very well in a good-sized container, provided you give it the right compost and care. Choose a pot with drainage holes and use a loam-based, free-draining compost (you can add some grit for extra drainage). Container-grown plants will need more regular watering in summer and a feed every few weeks during the growing season, as nutrients wash out more quickly in pots.

In winter, move the container to a sheltered spot close to the house or give the pot a wrap to protect the roots from freezing. In a container, abelia stays naturally more compact, which is ideal for patios, balconies and small courtyards.