Colorful foliage almost outmatches the colorful flowers! The Rubidor Weigela (Weigela florida ‘Olympiade’) is a truly unique look for old-fashioned Weigelas. The combination of intensely colored foliage and brightly colored flowers is unparalleled in the Weigela world!
The striking foliage starts out a sweet spring green but quickly turns into a bright chartreuse to neon lime green and sometimes an 80s acid yellow! Sometimes all at once! And many times the leaves are edged in an even brighter yellow. For your own safety, you better get out your sunglasses!
Blooming starts in late April and ramps up quickly. Before long the shrub is covered in an unreal number of blooms that are a ‘you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it’ shade of bright reddish, pinkish, watermelon. They practically scream “Look at me!” against vibrant foliage.
Blooming lasts for a long time in the spring and then this prolific rebloomer will show off several more times throughout the summer. Never with the veracity of the spring bloom, but enough to remind you that this plant knows it’s cool. Hardy throughout USDA growing zones 5 to 8, these vivid ornamental shrubs need very little maintenance or fussing over from you!
Planting and Application:
These vivid ornamentals need to be planted in high-profile locations around your home! Amp up your weary mixed hedges and foundation plantings! Add a vibrant hedge as a backdrop to your Perennial and Cottage gardens, or add color to pathways and along your property for lush privacy! These tidy shrubs look fantastic as naturally pruned hedges, but can also shear them into formal shapes.
A single specimen planting will light up the landscape! Or, utilize matched pairs of urns brimming in bright Rubidors as gorgeous flanking on either side of walkways and your front entry! Welcoming you with radiant color! These ornamental flowering shrubs have the perfect tubular-shaped blooms that are a draw for butterflies, bees, and especially hummingbirds! Snip a few stems for indoor bouquets as well!
- Super Colorful Foliage & Flowers
- Reblooming Deciduous Shrub
- 5-6 Foot Tall Upright Oval Form
- Attract Birds, Bees & Butterflies
- Great in Containers, Front Border, Facer Plants, Vertical Interest & Specimens
Tips for Care:
Weigela shrubs thrive best in full sun, requiring at least six hours a day, with eight or more just improving the color and quality of your Rubidor. Doing their very best in average, well-drained garden soils, they enjoy moderate moisture levels but are not particular on the soil type. A generous layer of mulch helps retain soil moisture in the ground as well as insulates the root system from heat and chill.
Rubidor handles pruning well and benefits from a fresh cut in late winter. However, if you wish to give them a trim, just be sure to do it immediately after that first spring flush of color. Weigela does benefit from a renewal pruning every few years, with the oldest stems removed that are not as productive to keep the shrub dense, loaded in blooms and lushly covered in foliage.
- Full Sun But Prefers Some Afternoon Shade
- Well-Drained Enriched Soil
- Moderate Moisture Needs
- Easy Care & Low-Maintenance & Very Deer Resistant
- Prune After Spring Bloom & No Deadheading Required
If you are looking for a serious shot of color in your garden this year, you’ve found it.
