Abelia grandiflora 'Glossy Abelia'

Glossy Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora) is the informal flowering hedge for gardeners who want more than a green wall. It reaches about 2m tall and 2m wide, carries small scented white flowers through the warm months, then holds pink calyces on the stems for weeks after the petals drop. Arching stems give it a relaxed shape, and it is frost, heat, drought and salt tolerant once established.

Why you'll love it

• Colour long after the flowers finish. White trumpet flowers from late spring into autumn, followed by pink calyces that keep the plant looking in flower.
• Scented and full of pollinators. The fragrance is light rather than heavy, and bees and butterflies work the flowers all season.
• An informal hedge that still screens. At 2m by 2m it gives real privacy without the rigid look of a clipped wall, and it takes formal trimming if you prefer.
• Four way toughness. Frost hardy, heat tolerant, drought tolerant and coastal salt tolerant, covering most of the difficult sites in an Australian garden.

Where it works best

Hedging and screening. Plant 1m apart in a single row for a dense hedge. At that spacing the arching stems interlace within two to three seasons and give a screen roughly 2m high with no clipping. For a wider screen use a double staggered row at 1m centres.

Mass planting, borders and feature use. Groups of three or five at 1m spacing read as one billowing mass. Left alone, a single plant develops a graceful vase shape with stems arching to the ground, so give it the full 2m of width.

Growing Glossy Abelia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering; part shade is tolerated with fewer flowers. It grows well in subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and being frost hardy it copes with cold southern and tableland winters, behaving as semi deciduous in the coldest districts.

Soil. Adaptable, provided the site drains. Improve the bed with compost before planting and mound it on heavy clay. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then weekly, then only in extended dry weather. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and mid summer is all it needs.

Pruning. Prune in late winter, because flowers are carried on new wood. For an informal hedge, take out about a quarter of the oldest stems at the base each year and shorten the rest.

What to expect when it arrives

Glossy Abelia is grown in two sizes: tube stock and 200mm plants in packs of six. Tubes are young single stemmed plants, usually 15cm to 20cm tall, and take three seasons to screen. The 200mm plants arrive branched and closer to knee height, and a row will give a usable hedge in about two seasons.

Abelia travels well. Expect some leaf loss and a quiet fortnight after planting, then new growth within four to six weeks in the warm months. Growth is steady rather than rapid, at roughly 30cm to 50cm a year. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Planting and maintaining a healthy hedge
• Compare hedging and screening plants
• Browse flowering shrubs
• Shrubs that plant well together

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Because the stems arch outward, that spacing closes into a continuous screen without the plants competing at the root. Space at 1.5m if you want each plant to show its shape.

Can I keep it lower than 2m?

Yes. Pruned in late winter it holds comfortably at 1.2m to 1.5m, and because it flowers on new wood you lose nothing by cutting it back. Trimming in spring and summer is what costs you flower.

Does it lose its leaves in winter?

It is evergreen in warmer gardens and semi deciduous in cold districts, thinning over the coldest weeks and refurnishing in spring. The framework of stems stays either way.