ARTY'S GARDEN: Plant Glossy Abelia for Its Abilities

Originally published in the Aug. 21, 2013, issue

 

Glossy abelia is the most popular shrub in Georgia that almost no one knows the name of. It’s like one of the supporting actors in the movies: they quietly do their job, but don’t draw undue attention to themselves and their performance while the stars get top billing.   

You’ll find glossy abelia everywhere in Georgia from beach cottages to mountain cemeteries to the grounds of our state Capitol. Because it does not make as big a splash with a lot of colorful blooms all at once like azaleas or have large flowers like camellias, glossy abelia doesn’t get the credit it deserves as an attractive and can-do landscape plant.

Glossy abelia blooms all summer with small, bell-shaped, sweet-scented, white (occasionally pink) flowers. The greenish pink or copper calyxes look like a second crop of blooms after the actual flowers drop. The glossy, evergreen leaves are green to copper-tinted, and there are variegated varieties with yellow, cream and red hues.  

The regular form of glossy abelia can reach six to seven feet tall (or more) with an almost equal spread, but can be kept much smaller. It can even be sheared into a hedge, but looks best and produces more flowers if it is pruned to maintain a loose, natural appearance. There are compact and prostrate varieties that reach only two to three feet tall.

If you like to make flower arrangements, you will find glossy abelia one of your most valuable allies. You’ll be cutting it all summer and into the fall and winter since the attractive flower-like calyxes stay on after the flowers have gone. I have a yellow-leaf variety and cut it back frequently. I fill vases with it and use it to help hold up stems of zinnias, dahlias, roses and other larger cut flowers. Once again, it plays the important supporting role. Its flowers and shiny leaves help the other flowers look even better.

Those seeking easy maintenance in their landscapes should appreciate glossy abelia for its immunity to diseases and insect pests, drought tolerance and its ability to tolerate a wide range of soil conditions. It blooms best in full sun, but can handle half-shade.

Nature lovers should look to glossy abelia for its ability to attract butterflies and provide a home for birds. The common silver-spotted skippers especially love it, but so do the larger and showier tiger and black swallowtails. The curious hummingbird moth is a frequent visitor feeding among its blooms. The twiggy stems make it a favorite nesting spot for cardinals and other songbirds, provided, of course, that you are not cutting it constantly for flower arrangements.

Visit a garden center or nursery to see some of the varieties of glossy abelia available. Now that you know its name, you have no excuse not to give this durable performer the credit it deserves.

Arty Schronce is the Department’s resident gardening expert. He’s a lifelong gardener and a horticulture graduate of North Carolina State University who encourages everyone to discover the pleasures of plants and gardening.