Abelia x grandiflora 'Poco Loco' - Poco Loco Abelia

This attractive low-mounded shrub features bright yellow and orange foliage in spring, maturing to green with pink new growth; a tidy, habit and tubular pink flowers in summer make this shrub a welcome addition to smaller spaces in the garden

Height: 30 inches. Spread: 3 feet. Sun: full sun to partial shade. Hardiness zone: 6a.

Ornamental features

Poco Loco® Abelia features dainty clusters of lightly-scented white tubular flowers with shell pink overtones at the ends of the branches from mid spring to early summer. It has attractive green foliage with hints of pink which emerges yellow in spring. The glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and turn an outstanding burgundy in the fall, which persists throughout the winter.

Landscape

Poco Loco® Abelia is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Recommended for: Mass Planting, General Garden Use, Container Planting.

Planting and growing

Poco Loco® Abelia will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. You may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder.