Weigela (Weigela 'Courtamon' FELINE)
Weigela 'Courtamon' FELINE is a low-maintenance deciduous shrub boasting showy pink-red blooms from April to June.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE offers gardeners reliable structure and vibrant spring color, making it an excellent choice for adding seasonal interest to borders. This variety of Weigela is prized for its dense, rounded habit which provides good texture throughout the growing season, complemented by its showy flowers. It is exceptionally easy to grow, requiring low maintenance once established, provided it receives adequate sunlight for optimal performance.
As a deciduous shrub, the Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE fades gracefully in the cooler months, only to return vigorously for its spectacular spring display. The funnel-shaped blooms begin almost white before maturing through shades of pink to a final, rich red hue. This robust nature, combined with its tolerance for various conditions, makes Weigela a dependable staple in East Asian-inspired or traditional garden designs.
Gardeners will appreciate the reliable structure of Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE, which typically reaches 4 to 5 feet high and spreads between 5 and 7 feet wide. Its dark green elliptical leaves maintain good color, ensuring the plant offers visual appeal even outside the main blooming period, contributing positively to structure in the landscape.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Caprifoliaceae
- Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 5-8
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 4-5 ft
- Spread: 5-7 ft
- Bloom Time: April to June
- Bloom Description: Pink-red
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
For the best flowering and foliage color in your Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE, aim to plant it where it receives full sun exposure, though it can tolerate very light afternoon shade. Planting is best done in spring or fall in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils. Ensure the planting location accommodates its mature spread of 5 to 7 feet, allowing for good air circulation around this dense shrub.
Water needs for Weigela are medium; establish a consistent moisture schedule, especially during the first year after planting, allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings. Fertilization is generally unnecessary unless the soil is extremely poor. The most critical cultural instruction is pruning: shape the shrub immediately after the main bloom period concludes in late spring or early summer to encourage shape and maximize next year’s flowering potential.
Avoid heavy pruning in late summer or fall, as this can encourage new, tender growth that may be susceptible to winter damage. Since Weigela is noted for having no serious insect or disease problems, seasonal care mainly revolves around watering during dry spells and maintaining its established shape through prompt post-bloom trimming.
Landscape Uses
Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE excels as a versatile component in landscape design due to its reliable flowering and attractive form. It functions excellently as a specimen plant or grouped together for a substantial impact within mixed shrub borders, providing excellent mid-level structure. Because Weigela responds well to pruning, it is also highly effective when utilized as a formal or informal hedge, neatly defining spaces within the garden.
Consider incorporating this hardy shrub into foundation plantings near homes, ensuring adequate space is left for its mature spread. Due to its requirement for full sun to flower best, pair Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE with other sun-loving perennials or smaller shrubs that share similar water and soil preferences. The pink-red blooms offer a warm contrast against white-flowering neighbors.
The robust nature of this Weigela variety means it can anchor areas needing reliable, low-maintenance color. Its structure makes it a perfect backdrop for more delicate spring-blooming bulbs as they emerge before the shrub reaches its full canopy.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Weigela is a genus of about 12 species of deciduous shrubs from East Asia, highly regarded for their showy spring flowers. The specific cultivar, ‘Courtamon’, sold as FELINE, presents as a dense, rounded shrub reaching 4-5’ tall and 5-7’ wide. Its unique feature is the funnel-shaped flowers which transition from almost white to pink and finally red, blooming profusely from late spring into early summer.
Tolerances
- Clay Soil
Potential Problems
One of the great advantages of Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE is its resistance profile—it generally exhibits no serious insect or disease problems. Gardeners should not anticipate significant issues requiring chemical intervention for pests or pathogens under normal growing conditions. Focus maintenance efforts instead on correct pruning schedules to ensure abundant blooming and maintaining consistent moisture levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Weigela suitable for?
The Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE is reliably hardy in USDA Zones 5 through 8.
How large does Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE grow?
This cultivar typically reaches a mature height of 4 to 5 feet with a corresponding spread of 5 to 7 feet, forming a dense, rounded shape.
When does Weigela bloom?
Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE produces its main flush of pink-red flowers from April to June.
What sun exposure does Weigela need?
This shrub needs full sun for the very best flowering and foliage color, although it will tolerate trimming very light shade.
Conclusion
The Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE stands out as a champion of low-effort, high-reward landscaping, providing reliable structure and brilliant pink-red spring flowers. Its low maintenance needs and tolerance for clay soil make it accessible for a wide range of gardeners wanting dependable performance from their Weigela selections. Before planting, confirm your growing region falls within zones 5-8 and plan your site selection to ensure it receives the required full sun exposure.
Companion Planting
Selecting companions for Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE should prioritize plants that thrive in similar medium moisture conditions and full sun to partial shade exposures. Consider pairing the shrub with early-summer blooming perennials whose foliage contrasts nicely with the dark green leaves of the Weigela. Good companions include Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra) planted slightly farther out to catch falling light, or coreopsis varieties that bloom concurrently with the Weigela.
For a layered border effect, use low-growing groundcovers that enjoy consistent moisture near the base of the shrub, such as Hostas (in similar light conditions) or creeping phlox, ensuring proper spacing so the Weigela has room to attain its 5 to 7-foot spread without overcrowding. This thoughtful pairing ensures all plants share cultural needs, simplifying overall garden maintenance.
Wildlife Benefits
While not explicitly noted as a pollinator magnet, the funnel-shaped flowers of Weigela ‘Courtamon’ FELINE are attractive to hummingbirds and long-tongued bees during their peak bloom from April to June. Providing these nectar sources early in the season is highly beneficial for emerging pollinator populations.
Furthermore, as a deciduous shrub with a dense structure, the Weigela provides excellent cover and protection for small songbirds throughout the nesting season. The substantial twig structure offers safe refuge from predators and weather once the leaf canopy has fully developed.
