Weigela Bristol Ruby

Weigela Bristol Ruby is a deciduous bushy shrub with green foliage and trumpet-shaped dark red flowers. It suits mixed borders and plant containers.

Weigela are native to eastern Asia and are named after the German scientist Christian Weigel. The first weigela was imported to the UK in 1845 and they have thrived here since. The cultivar Bristol Ruby was bred in Bristol, Connecticut USA from Weigela Rosea and Weigela Eva Rathke.

This is a hardy weigela with mid-green ovate leaves on strong upright stems. Foliage appears in early spring, and turns shades of yellow in the autumn frosts. It’s best known for its beautiful trumpet-shaped blooms that arrive in May and June often blooming again in early autumn. The flowers are deep red with long pale stamens and highly attractive to pollinators.

This is a beautiful, tough very free-flowering weigela that deserves a place in every garden.

Height And Spread of Weigela Bristol Ruby
Weigela Bristol Ruby will reach a maximum height and spread of 2.5 metres over 10-20 years.

How Hardy Is Weigela Bristol Ruby
Hardy down to minus temperatures when the roots are well-drained, Weigela Bristol Ruby can cope with some drought once established and rarely develops pests or disease.

How To Use Weigela Bristol Ruby
A lovely addition to a mixed flower border or a cottage style garden Weigela Bristol Ruby adds structure and colour. It also sits well in modern gardens with its simple green foliage and dark red bell flowers.

It is low maintenance enough for the busiest of gardeners and suits wildlife friendly spaces. It can also cope with coastal areas and will thrive in a large well-watered container.

How To Care For Weigela Bristol Ruby
Weigela Bristol Ruby likes a position in full sun to partial shade. It will grow in full shade but develops fewer flowers there.
Any type of well-drained moist soil is suitable and it can be grown in exposed locations.

Weigela flowers on old wood, so while you can prune in winter to maintain its size and shape, removing too much wood will result in fewer blooms the following year. It’s best to prune immediately after flowering so new wood has time to grow. Remove some older stems to the ground and trim back other flowering stems by about a third. Mulch well and water until established.