Culture
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Needs full sun for best flowering and foliage color, but will tolerate very light or sun dappled shade. Blooms on old wood. Prune to shape immediately after flowering.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Weigela praecox is native to Korea, Manchuria and Japan. It is the earliest flowering weigela (about two weeks earlier than the very similar Weigela florida). Fragrant, funnel-shaped, rose-pink flowers have yellow throats. Flowers appear in late spring on short lateral branchlets. This is a dense, rounded, deciduous shrub that typically grows to 6’ tall. Ovate, pointed, medium green leaves are soft-pubescent beneath. Insignificant fall color. Fruit is inconspicuous.
The genus name Weigela honors Christian Ehrenfried Weigel (1748-1831), German professor at the University of Geifswald.
Specific epithet means flowers early.
‘April Snow’ is a white flowered cultivar. It was grown at Bluebird Nursery in Clarkson, Nebraska from Weigela praecox seed collected by the Nursery owner, Harlan Hamernik, from the Wutai Shan Mountains in northern Shanxi Province in China. As suggested by the cultivar name and specific epithet, this is an early blooming shrub with snow white flowers which bloom in April. U.S. Plant Patent PP20,006 was issued on May 19, 2009.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
Borders, property margins and foundations. Hedge or summer screen.