Abelia x grandiflora 'Minabcris01' CRISTAL CHARM® glossy abelia
size/type
medium-sized shrub,small shrub
usual height
0,5-1,2m
usual width
0,5-1,5m
leaves
semi-deciduous broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
July-November
location
full to partial sun
soil type
any (acidic to alkaline)
soil moisture requirements
dry or damp, but with good drainage
USDA zone (lowest)
5b (down to -27°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Looking for the most spectacular trees and shrubs with showy flowers one might forget the smaller ones, which are not less diligent or beautiful. Abelias are one example. They come from Japan, Asia, and Mexico and are cultivated for their profuse flowering in summer and autumn, or coloured/variegated foliage which is semi-deciduous or deciduous in C.E. climate (zone 5a-7). They do not just survive here, they thrive. One of the most common is glossy abelia which is a garden hybrid between a.chinesis and a.uniflora, sometimes also called abelia rupestris.
Description of the plant:
CRISTAL CHARM® is a French variety of glossy abelia developed in Minier Nursery and introduced in 2021. Compared with the traits of glossy abelia (original hybrid) it forms smaller shrubs with slightly larger, clear white flowers. They are shortly tubular and open from burnt pink buds. When they fall off they reveal copper red sepals. Blooming begins in July and continues until the last sunny and frost-free days of autumn. The leaves are medium green, small, narrowly ovate, pointed, very glossy, evergreen or semi-deciduous in mild winters and deciduous after harsh winters. In autumn they turn fiery shades of red, orange, and chartreuse in full sun. Twigs are purplish red.CRISTAL CHARM® does not grow tall, it rather spreads to sides. It is well-branched, yet not too dense disclosing an elegantly arching habit. In spring, you can prune it lightly or severely as it tolerates a hard pruning into old wood for rejuvenation. Use it as a flowering addition to non-blooming evergreen landscapes (among compact conifers, leucothoe, dwarf photinias and cherry laurels), mix it with look-like shrubs with delicate foliage (choisya, hebe, berberis), or place it among other drought-resistant shrubs (caryopteris, vitex, arbutus, grasses) if you need maintenance-free greenery.
Abelias love sun and heat. They are extremely drought tolerant and don't require watering from the second year in the ground. They are also widely soil adaptable as they cope with almost any but water-logged ground. They are also easy to transplant. In old encyclopedias you may find low hardiness in continental climate. The truth is that we trialled all of them on long-term basis and they ALL not just survive, they thrive here in zones 5b and 6 without any winter protection, and don't even exhibit any major damage after a harsh winter. CRISTAL CHARM® is hardy to abt. -27 °C (USDA zone 5b).
Last update 04-12-2023
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