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There are a number of variegated forms of Weigela florida. At one time I grew as many of them as I could get, but they have slowly been lost. This one bit the dust
when I 'redeveloped' its corner of the garden with a JCB. Despite growing right outside my potting shed for twenty years, this is the only picture that I took of it. Trees and Shrubs online draws attention to the comfusion surrounding the proper identification of the variegated Weigela and says under the name Weigela 'Florida Variegata': "'Florida Variegata' is one of the most commonly cultivated Weigela and its familiarity may well be the cause of the indifference, even contempt, which the genus is unfairly subject to by some horticulturists. It was selected by Desbois, Boskoop, The Netherlands, before 1861 and has since become one of the great stalwarts of temperate gardens. As an ornamental shrub it is extremely reliable, the foliage irregularly margined cream-yellow, and the flowers pink-purple. It grows taller than broad, and can apparently be distinguished from the superficially similar W. 'Praecox Variegata' by its wider leaves with paler margins, and darker coloured flowers (Howard 1965; Hoffmann 2007) however there are inconsistencies in the literature regarding which character belongs to which selection." I have chosen to use this name because my plant has broad leaves compared with the rather narrow, twisted leaves I havbe seen on some plants. I may well be wrong. I was given the plant without a name when a friend remodelled his garden with the help of a mechanical digger. It's a circular destiny. |
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| 12th May 2007 | ||