Glossy Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora)

Glossy Abelia is a well-behaved, 3-6 foot semi-evergreen shrub that begins to put on a show in September and often continues to impress though November. As the name suggests, the leaves are shiny and dark green in summer but develop a striking, reddish-bronze color, lasting into early winter. The funnel shaped flowers are pinkish and fragrant, produced in clusters terminating lateral branches. Flowering begins in June but really picks up in September. The flowers produce considerable nectar and are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies late in the season. The reddish-purple sepals, subtending the petals are, perhaps, the most ornamental feature of the plants and they often persist through the winter.

Photos and copy by Chris Starbuck