TopTropicals Plant Catalog

This catalog is for information only. If you don't see the price - the plant is not for sale.

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The most popular of the Abelias. An evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub with a rounded, fountain-like growth habit. Fast-growing to 4-8 ft tall and 4-6 ft wide. Fine-textured, glossy, oval, dark green leaves, 2 inches long. New growth has bronze color. Prolific, tiny white with pink sepals tubular flowers (less than 1 inch long) in clusters at stem ends, from summer to fall some times longer. Flowers are slightly fragrant.

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.

The species from warm climates are evergreen, and colder climate species deciduous.

Species and varieties:

Abelia chinensis

Abelia grandiflora

Valued as an ornamental plant, due to its colorful and attractive flowers. The leaves are alternate, rough, hairy, heart-shaped or 3-5 lobed with serrated margins. Flowers are Hibiscus-like.

Cultivated for aromatic oil from seeds. Young leaves, shoots, and unripe seedpods are cooked as a vegetable.

The leaves have an oblong shap.The seeds are contained in a cotton-like envelope. Dark, maroon flowers are formed in terminal panicles. The leaves and stems are covered with soft, bristly hairs that are extremely irritating to the touch.

Also placed in Malvaceae ssf. Sterculioideae.

The Canary Tree is a small evergreen tree, with yellow flowers and an orange center. It forms a nice small canopy, perfect for small gardens and container culture. Keep soil evenly moist. When under watered, leaves will look wilted. Do not over water. Use well-drained soil. It has a long winter span, and blooms are attractive to bees and butterflies.