Abelia

Abelia is a genus of about 15-30 species and many hybrids in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae, in the part of that family split off by some authors in the segregate family Linnaeaceae. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group considers Linnaeaceae to encompass such genera as Linnaea, Abelia, Dipelta, Kolkwitzia, and Zabelia.

Abelias are shrubs from 1-6 m tall, native to eastern Asia (Japan west to the Himalaya) and southern North America (Mexico); the species from warm climates are evergreen, and colder climate species deciduous. The leaves are opposite or in whorls of three, ovate, glossy, dark green, 1.5-8 cm long, turning purplish-bronze to red in autumn in the deciduous species. The flowers appear in the upper leaf axils and stem ends, 1-8 together in a short cyme; they are pendulous, white to pink, bell-shaped with a five-lobed corolla, 1-5 cm long, and usually scented. Flowering continues over a long and continuous late spring to fall period.


USES
Abelias are popular garden shrubs. The most widely grown is the hybrid Abelia x grandiflora. This is a rounded, spreading, multi-stemmed shrub with gracefully arching branches to 1-1.8 m tall, with ovate, glossy, dark green semi-evergreen leaves to 2-6 cm long, and clusters of white-tinged-pink, bell-shaped flowers to 2 cm long.

Abelia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species - see list of Lepidoptera that feed on Abelia.

Species

Abelia aitchinsonii
Abelia biflora - (China)
Abelia coriacea - (Mexico)
Abelia corymbosa - (Central Asia) - Abelia corymbosa is a species of Abelia described by Regel and Schmalh. The plant inhabits Central Asia.
Abelia curviflora - (Japan)
Abelia dielsii - (China)
Abelia floribunda - Mexican Abelia (Mexico)
Abelia forrestii - (China)
Abelia integrifolia - (Japan)
Abelia ionostachya - (Japan)
Abelia macrotera - (China)
Abelia engleriana - (Sichuan, China)
Abelia fargesii - (Japan)
Abelia mexicana - (Mexico)
Abelia mosanensis - (Korea)
Abelia buddleioides - (China)
Abelia chinensis - (China)
Abelia occidentalis - (Mexico)
Abelia parvifolia - (China)
Abelia serrata - (Japan)
Abelia tomentosa - (Japan)
Abelia taihyonii - (Korea)
Abelia triflora - (Himalaya)
Abelia spathulata - (Japan)
Abelia speciosa - (Mexico)
Abelia umbellata - (Sichuan, China)



Hybrids
Abelia x grandiflora
Abelia × grandiflora (Glossy Abelia) is a hybrid Abelia, raised by hybridising Abelia chinensis with A. uniflora. It is a deciduous or semi-evergreen multi-stemmed shrub with rounded, spreading, or gracefully arching branches to 1-1.8 m tall. The leaves are ovate, glossy, dark green, 2-6 cm long. The flowers are produced in clusters, white, tinged pink, bell-shaped, to 2 cm long.
USES
Abelia × grandiflora was first raised at the Rovelli nursery by Lake Maggiore in Italy in 1886. It is used as an ornamental plant in specimen plantings in gardens, or in a mixed border with other shrubs. Propagation is by cuttings.

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