Practically unknown to prairie gardeners, but very well known in milder climates. There are about 25 species to be found here, most found in cold parts of Asia such as Japan and the Himalayas. They are mostly evergreen, and fast growing and compact, making them ideal for hedges. The flowers are usually soft to pale pink, fragrant, and not especially showy. Many people say they look like tiny weigelas.
Abelias are only hardy to about zone 5, but they make good container plants and are not difficult to overwinter indoors. (Though sometimes they do get spidermites.) A few of them will take on very beautiful fall colouring (just as an added bonus) and they are sometimes available from specialist mail-order nurseries.
Abelia chinensis and Abelia uniflora are the most commonly grown, and there are many selections that are hybrids between them, usually listed as Abelia x grandiflora. The hybrids normally have pink flowers with red calyxes, and beautiful glossy foliage. As such, they are sometimes sold as glossy abelias. They have long, arching canes and can grow up to 6 ft. tall but are often pruned down much smaller. They are long-lived if old canes are removed every few years, and they are very adaptable with no pest or disease problems. They can also tolerate less than ideal soil and are quite drought resistant.
You’ll find they bloom all summer and are easily propagated from cuttings. ‘Edward Goucher’ is the most widely cultivated (you will see it everywhere in San Francisco and Vancouver), and it is a vigorous grower with small pink flowers for months at a time. ‘Sunrise’, ‘Kaleidoscope’, and ‘Mardi Gras’ are variegated cultivars that are popular and noteworthy. ‘Rose Creek’ is a fragrant and profuse bloomer, and ‘Little Richard’ has white flowers but does not bloom over as long a season.
They grow quickly and are easy to propagate, and are worth experimentation.