In May and June the arching stems of this suckering, deciduous shrub are smothered with masses of small, deep pink, trumpet-like flowers. It makes a graceful backdrop to a sunny mixed or shrub border, and thrives in a wide range of soil conditions, including chalk.
How to care for Kolkwitzia amabilis Pink Cloud:
Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant. Once the plant has developed a good-sized clump, thin out the stems by cutting back 1 in 3 of the older, flowering stems to their base. This should be done after they have finished flowering in midsummer.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Eventual height:
3m
Eventual spread:
4m
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
-
This shrub is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.