Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Weigela florida

Family

Caprifoliaceae

Flowering season

May to June

English distribution

It is found as a garden plant throughout the country.

The naturalised escape is also scattered throughout but

is mainly found around London in the southeast and

Manchester and the Fylde in the Northwest.

For a map see the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland –

Weigelia.

Habitat

It is a neophyte which was introduced into the UK in the

mid 1840s and first recognised as an escape in the late

1920s.

It is widely grown in gardens and can escape into the

wild but does not usually persist (casual). However, it

has become naturalised on tips and waste ground and

alongside railways.

Description

Weigelia is an evergreen shrub growing up to 3m.

The flowers are up to 35mm across. They have a corolla

tube with 5 spreading lobes with 2 lobes slightly smaller

than the other 3 - giving a 2-lipped appearance. They

vary from pink to red.

There are 5 stamens with pink filaments and white

linear anthers.

There is a single white style and a capitate stigma.

The stigma protrudes from the flower.

The 5 sepals are lanceolate and hairy. They persist after

flowering.

The fruit is a capsule and the seeds are fertile.

Leaves are up to 10cm, weekly toothed and pointed

ovals.

Branches are arching and the younger wood is brown

to green.

Older wood is grey.