Weigela amabilis
Weigela amabilis
Weigela amabilis (Weigela amabilis hort.) Is a shrub species belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family.
Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota Domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Magnoliophyta Division,
Magnoliopsida class,
Order Dipsacales,
Caprifoliaceae family,
Genus Weigela,
W. Amabilis species.
The term is synonymous:
– Weigela florida (Bunge) A.DC ..
Etymology –
The term Weigela of the genus is named after the German scientist Christian Ehrenfried Weigel (1748 – 1831).
The specific epithet amabilis means deserving to be loved, to love to love: lovable, graceful, agreeable; for its aesthetic aspect.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Weigela amabilis is a plant native to East Asia and present in an area that also includes Korea, Manchuria and Japan.
This plant grows mainly in undergrowth formations and, with other species of the genus, is used as a host plant by the larvae of some species of moths including the brown-bellied bumblebee (Euproctis chrysorrhoea Linnaeus, 1758).
Description –
Weigela amabilis is a deciduous shrub that grows between 1 and 5 meters.
The leaves are opposite, 5-15 cm long, ovate-oblong with a sharp tip and serrated edge.
The flowers are 2–4 cm long, with a white, pink or red (rarely yellow) five-lobed corolla, gathered in small corymbs in early summer.
The antesis is between May and June.
The fruit is a dry capsule containing numerous small winged seeds.
Cultivation –
Weigela amabilis is a plant that grows wild or cultivated as an ornamental species in gardens, although this species, like others of the genus, have mostly been replaced by hybrids.
It is a plant that requires sunny or partially shaded areas; it is a hardy plant that resists the winter cold of temperate regions. This shrub does not tolerate arid heat very much, so it lives better in the northern regions than in the southern ones, where the plant needs to be bathed more frequently.
Every year, in spring, it is advisable to give the soil some mature manure or organic soil. Typical species can multiply by seed in spring. Hybrids and varieties reproduce by cuttings. From the lateral non-flowering shoots, cuttings about 10 cm long are taken and planted in a compound of peat and sand in equal parts, at a temperature of 15 ° C. When the seedlings have taken root, they are repotted individually and kept in a cold box. In spring they are planted in the nursery, where they remain for about a year, before planting. This shrub can be affected by fungal diseases. In the event of an attack, remove the affected parts and carry out treatments with horsetail decoction combined with 2% sodium silicate. The aphids strike the vegetative apexes, weakening the plant; in this case we intervene with absinthe macerate.
Customs and Traditions –
The first species collected for western gardens was found by Robert Fortune in East Asia and imported to England in 1845. Following the opening of Japan to Westerners, several Weigela species and garden versions were “discovered” by European hunters of plants, in the 1850s and 1860s, although they were already well known to the locals.
This plant is used, both in the form of species and with its hybrids, in gardens and parks where it is grown as an ornamental plant.
From the ecological point of view, as mentioned, it is a host plant from the larvae of some species of lepidoptera including the brown-bellied bumblebee (Euproctis chrysorrhoea Linnaeus, 1758).
Preparation Method –
Weigela amabilis is a plant that grows both in its natural state and as a plant grown mainly as an ornamental species.
No particular uses of food or medicine are known.
Guido Bissanti
Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.
Warning: Pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; therefore no responsibility is taken for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.