How do you recognise Glossy abelia (Abelia × grandiflora)?

Leaf

Christophe Gorla, Telebotanica · CC-BY-SA 2.0

Glossy abelia

Abelia × grandiflora

Also known as: Abelia

Family: Caprifoliaceae

About 1.5 to 2 m tall with an equal spread.

Gardens, informal hedges and ornamental borders throughout France except the coldest areas; free-draining soil, preferably a sheltered position.

Flowering: June to October, long and continuous flowering

Full sun

Part shade

Hardy to about -15 to -17°C (USDA zone 7).

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

It is one of the few shrubs to flower without a break from June to October, which makes it a dependable choice for modern hedges in France — even though its name is less familiar to the general public than its foliage.

🍃 Leaves

Semi-evergreen, small, ovate, glossy dark green, sometimes bronze-tinged in winter.

🌸 Flowers

Small tubular bells, pinkish-white to pale pink, fragrant, produced abundantly all over the shrub from June to October.

🍎 Fruits

Small dry achenes, inconspicuous, of no ornamental value.

🪵 Bark

Slender, arching, reddish-brown stems; supple, spreading habit.

🗺️ Distribution

Garden hybrid (Abelia chinensis × Abelia uniflora), widely planted throughout France.

🐝 Value for pollinators

Exceptionally long-flowering and nectar-rich (up to 4-5 months), much visited by bees and butterflies in late summer when few other shrubs are still in flower.

✂️ Horticultural uses

Informal hedge, border, specimen shrub; widely used in towns and housing estates for its prolonged summer flowering and low maintenance.