WEIGELA SHRUBS ARE BLOOMING

HYBRID WEIGELA IN BLOOM...

...BRACE OF FLOWERS (Google photo)

Wednesday, 8:00 AM.  53 degrees F at the ferry dock, 54 on the back porch.  Wind ENE, calm with light gusts.  The sky is overcast, the humidity 97% after thunderstorms left an inch of rain last night.  The barometer is rising, now at 29.74", predicting warmer and drier weather ahead.

   The genus Weigela, in the Caprifoliaceae family, has a number of species, most native to northeast Asia, including Korea and Japan.  It is named after the German scientist who introduced several of the species to Europe in the mid-1800's.

   The plants represented in horticulture today are mainly named hybrids, of which there are many.  They uaualy have red or rose colored flowers, and often reddish leaves.  They can be an attractive plant in some locations and make a good flowering hedge, but I seldom use them in my designs because they have only one season of interest, that is, when they are in flower, neither fall color nor fruit being of much esthetic value.