Kolkwitzia amabilis
Beautybush

Family:

Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family) 22

Genus:

Kolkwitzia (Beautybush) 1

Plant Type:

Shrub 474

Growth Forms:

Arching 24

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 4 493

Deciduous / Evergreen:

Deciduous 798

Flower Notes:

Pink (Bell-shaped pink flowers with yellow throats (0.5" long) in 2-3" dia. flower clusters)

Foliage Notes:

Green (Dark green summer foliage); Yellow (Yellowish to reddish fall color; not overwhelming)

Fruit Notes:

Brown (Persisting bristly brown capsule; not ornamentally important, but helpful for identification)

Ultimate Height:

6-10 feet

Ultimate Spread:

6-10 feet

Light Requirements:

Soil Notes:

Prefers well-drained soils, but is pH adaptable

Range:

Western China

Diagnostic Characteristics:

Leaves (1-3" long by 0.75-2" wide) are opposite, simple, broad-ovate, and sparsely toothed with an acuminate apex and a pilose petiole. The bristly brown capsules (0.25" long) are long persisting and bear a single seed. The gray-brown bark exfoliates on older stems and branches.

Special Characteristics:

Additional Information

The Beautybush is an arching, deciduous shrub known for its spectacular pink flower show in the spring. However, it can be too coarse for the landscape when not in bloom. Dead wood should be removed and the plant should be pruned (even hard pruning to the ground) every few years to prevent the plant from becoming overgrown. Plants bloom on old wood so hard prunings will result in loss of bloom, but will improve the aesthetics of the plant dramatically.