PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Caprifoliaceae FAMILY

Weigela japonica

Weigela japonica

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
1/5

Safety & Hazards

The leaves are slightly toxic[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

An easily grown plant, succeeding in most fertile soils[2, 3]. Prefers a moist well-drained soil in sun or partial shade[3]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution[3]. Plants are very floriferous and can exhaust themselves, literally flowering themselves to death. The flowers are borne in the leaf nodes of the previous years growth and any pruning is therefore best done as soon as the plant has finished flowering[4]. There are some named forms selected for their ornamental value[3]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[3].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible, otherwise in late winter or early spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer. Softwood basal cuttings, 10 - 12cm long, in a sandy soil in a cold frame in early summer[3]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 8 - 10 cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame[3]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth. 20 cm long, late autumn in a sheltered outdoor nursery bed[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Weigela+japonica>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Chinese Materia Medica. — Stuart. Rev. G. A. · Taipei. Southern Materials Centre · 1911 · ISBN - ↩︎A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
  2. [2]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  5. [5]Flora of Japan — http://www.foj.info ↩︎An on-line version of the flora - an excellent resource.