Weigela (Weigela florida 'Polka')
Weigela florida 'Polka' is a compact, low-maintenance deciduous shrub featuring showy pink spring flowers attractive to hummingbirds.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
The compact Weigela florida ‘Polka’ offers exceptional garden value through its robust, low-maintenance nature and continuous floral display. This dense, rounded deciduous shrub is prized for its season-long interest, presenting large, trumpet-shaped blossoms that emerge light pastel pink with distinctive yellow throats. As a cultivar of the popular Weigela, ‘Polka’ provides reliable springtime color and remains attractive throughout the summer months.
Weigela florida ‘Polka’ thrives in full sun, which maximizes both its flowering performance and the rich coloration of its dark green foliage. Reaching a manageable size of 3 to 5 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide, this variety is significantly more compact than the species plant, making it highly versatile for smaller landscapes. Its long bloom period, often extending from late spring into early fall, ensures consistent visual appeal.
Beyond its aesthetic qualities, the Weigela shrub offers functional benefits, attracting hummingbirds to the garden. With low maintenance requirements and good tolerance for various soil types, including clay, Weigela florida ‘Polka’ establishes quickly and provides reliable structure year after year.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Caprifoliaceae
- Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 4-9
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 3-5 ft
- Spread: 4-6 ft
- Bloom Time: April to June
- Bloom Description: Pink with yellow throat
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Planting the Weigela florida ‘Polka’ is best achieved in the spring or fall when temperatures are moderate, allowing the roots to establish before summer heat or winter frost. Ensure you select a site receiving full sun for the best flower production; though it tolerates light shade, flowering will be significantly diminished in deep shade. This shrub is quite adaptable and easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils, showing a pleasant tolerance even for clay-heavy ground.
Ongoing care for your Weigela is straightforward. It requires medium water, especially during prolonged dry spells in its first couple of years, though established plants are reasonably drought-tolerant. Fertilizing is rarely essential; however, if growth seems poor, a balanced, slow-release fertilizer applied in early spring can provide a boost. Pruning is light and necessary only to maintain shape or remove errant growth.
The most important cultural consideration for any Weigela is timing your pruning correctly. Always prune to shape immediately after the main spring bloom concludes to avoid sacrificing next year’s flower buds. Propagation of Weigela florida ‘Polka’ can be successfully done via stem cuttings taken during the active growing season.
Landscape Uses
The manageable size and dense habit of Weigela florida ‘Polka’ make it an excellent choice for formal and informal landscape designs alike. It excels when used as a low, sturdy hedge along property margins where a defined border is needed without excessive height. Furthermore, its bright spring/summer flowers provide crucial seasonal color when massed along foundation plantings, softening hard architectural lines.
For borders, group several Weigela shrubs together to create sweeps of color that draw the eye along a pathway or garden edge. Because it performs well near foundations and handles medium water, it pairs nicely with early-blooming perennials that fill in the ground space before the Weigela reaches its full size. Consider using contrasting foliage, such as dark purple leafed shrubs or plants with strong vertical lines, to enhance the visual impact of the Weigela’s arching form.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
- Fragrant
Noteworthy Characteristics
Weigela florida is native to northern China, Korea and Japan. It is a dense, rounded, deciduous shrub that typically grows to 6-10’ tall and may spread over time to as much as 12’ wide. Branching is somewhat coarse, and branches on mature shrubs tend to arch toward the ground. Funnel-shaped, rose pink flowers (each to 1.25” long) bloom profusely in spring, with a sparse and scattered repeat bloom often occurring in mid to late summer. The ‘Polka’ cultivar is significantly more compact, bearing large, trumpet-shaped, light pastel pink flowers with yellow throats that provide continuous color through late spring into early fall.
Tolerances
- Tolerant of clay soils
Potential Problems
Fortunately, Weigela florida ‘Polka’ is known for being remarkably trouble-free. Gardeners will rarely encounter serious insect or major disease problems when this shrub is grown in appropriate conditions. Vigilance against common pests like aphids is good practice, especially during rapid new growth periods in spring. Healthy plants grown in the correct sun exposure rarely require chemical intervention, keeping maintenance low as advertised.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Weigela florida ‘Polka’ suitable for?
This adaptable deciduous shrub is hardy across a wide range, thriving in USDA Zones 4 through 9.
How large does Weigela grow?
Weigela florida ‘Polka’ is a compact cultivar, generally maturing to heights between 3 and 5 feet, with a spread ranging from 4 to 6 feet wide.
When does Weigela bloom?
The primary bloom time for this attractive shrub is from April to June, showcasing its lovely pink flowers with yellow throats, though some sporadic repeat bloom can occur later.
What sun exposure does Weigela florida ‘Polka’ need?
For the most consistent flowering and best performance, Weigela requires full sun, although performance will degrade gracefully if provided some dappled shade.
Conclusion
The Weigela florida ‘Polka’ stands out as a highly valuable landscape plant due to its compact size, low maintenance requirements, and reliably colorful, long-lasting floral display. Whether utilized as a spring hedge or a specimen piece, this Weigela introduction offers persistent beauty. Before planting, confirm that your location meets the full sun requirement for optimal flowering success in your USDA hardiness zone.
Wildlife Benefits
The trumpet shape of the Weigela florida ‘Polka’ blooms makes them particularly attractive to local wildlife, especially hummingbirds seeking nectar resources during the late spring and early summer. While the primary blossoms are showy, the species provides a reliable, easy-to-grow food source without fuss. Planting Weigela near seating areas allows gardeners to observe these visitors closely throughout the bloom period.
Companion Planting
Due to its requirement for full sun and medium moisture, Weigela florida ‘Polka’ pairs well with spring-blooming bulbs like daffodils or tulips that fade just as the shrub begins its heavy flowering phase. Consider situating it near later-season flowering perennials such as Coneflower (Echinacea) or Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) to maintain vibrant color in the border throughout the summer months. These companions share similar sun needs, simplifying the cultural requirements for the entire planting area.
