Glossy abelia
Abelia x grandiflora · Caprifoliaceae
A graceful, arching shrub with small, glossy leaves and a long succession of little white, pink-flushed, scented bells from June to frost. The rosy sepals stay on after the flowers drop.
- Size
- 5 ft tall, 5 ft wide
- Zones
- 6 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Mid June to early October
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
A bed built around glossy abelia
The planner designed this bed around glossy abelia when this page was made: a 16 × 8 ft (4.9 × 2.4 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why glossy abelia stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Glossy abelia × 1, white
- 2 Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' × 24, pink
- 3 Creeping phlox × 8, purple
- 4 Tatarian aster 'Jindai' × 3, purple
- 5 False sunflower 'Summer Sun' × 5, yellow
- 6 Little bluestem × 5, blue-green leaves
- 7 Anise hyssop × 3, lavender
- 8 Schubert's allium × 3, pink
- 9 Ornamental onion 'Purple Sensation' × 5, purple
- 10 Hyacinth × 8, blue
Why this plant
- The only white. White sits between stronger colours and calms them.
- Part of the bed's structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down. So does little bluestem.
Why here
- Anchors a back corner. At 5 ft it is the tallest plant here, and the tallest close the ends of the bed, where they stand in front of nothing.
- A step in the back row. Next to false sunflower 'Summer Sun' (3½ ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- In flower for 17 weeks. From mid June to early October.
- Fills a gap. For three of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 7 of the 11 groups (64%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' repeats along the bed to tie it together. Creeping phlox stands beside hyacinth, a proven pairing.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where glossy abelia goes in a border
At 5 ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is tall (4 to 5 ft).
Its job: anchor. A shrub that gives the bed permanent structure. Planted singly, as soon as the front edge is laid; everything else is arranged around it.
Few shrubs flower for five months. Its fine texture and arching habit make a soft background for bolder plants. Prune out the oldest stems at the base; shearing spoils its shape.
- A long-flowering, informal hedge
- Butterflies and bees
- The back of a mixed border in mild climates
What to plant with glossy abelia
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Lilyturf: in flower together for six weeks, from early August; spires rising out of its mound; low enough (16 in) to stand in front of it.
- Daylily: in flower together for seven weeks, from late June; low enough (2½ ft) to stand in front of it.
- Black-eyed Susan: in flower together for 11 weeks, from mid July; low enough (24 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about glossy abelia
Does glossy abelia need sun or shade?
Glossy abelia grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does glossy abelia grow in?
USDA zones 6 to 9. It is hardy to zone 6, which means it survives winter nights down to about 0 °F (−18 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does glossy abelia flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers mid June to early October. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 6 | Mid June to early October |
|---|---|
| Zone 7 | Early June to early October |
| Zone 8 | Early June to early October |
| Zone 9 | Late May to early October |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should glossy abelia be planted?
4 ft (120 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 5 ft (150 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 5 ft (150 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many glossy abelia plants do I need?
Usually one. At 4 ft (120 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 4 ft apart: three plants for a 10 ft run.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is glossy abelia poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Is there a native plant like glossy abelia?
Glossy abelia is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Ninebark 'Dart's Gold': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late May to late June, medium leaves, not fine.
- Black chokeberry: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers early May to late May, medium leaves, not fine.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat glossy abelia?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What flowers after glossy abelia?
Glossy abelia is over by early October. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Muhly grass 'White Cloud': from early October to early November, 4 ft tall.
- Tatarian aster 'Jindai': from early October to early November, 4 ft tall.
- Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield Pink': from late September to early November, 2½ ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
What does glossy abelia look like in winter?
Glossy abelia holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
Is glossy abelia good for bees and butterflies?
Glossy abelia is visited by pollinators, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
More Abelia
- Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope'
- Abelia 'Rose Creek' Abelia x grandiflora 'Rose Creek'
In these guides
- Salt-tolerant plants for roadsides and coasts
- Plants for slopes and banks
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Plants for hummingbirds
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants for bees
- Long-flowering plants: 12 weeks or more
- Plants for a white garden
- Plants with purple and burgundy leaves
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 5 ft (150 cm) tall, 5 ft (150 cm) wide
- Plant
- 4 ft (120 cm) apart
- Height class
- Tall (4 to 5 ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- Mid June to early October; dense clusters; white
- Leaves
- Fine texture, semi-evergreen; dark green, bronze
- Shape
- Rounded, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 6 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Caprifoliaceae
- Attracts
- Pollinators, bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, drought, salt, pollution, erosion
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.