I have one =:)

It's blossoms are very pretty and the foliage is nice, too. The silly thing bloomed on the bottom this year, but it's still young and I have high hopes.

I planted it two years ago, facing West, and it's survived just fine. Winter dieback, but what the heck. I know a man who has about 6 of them in a row in a much more sheltered place than mine and he loves them.

Go for it. Especially at clearance prices.

I had a red one and it never did much of anything. Gone now.

I have 'Wine and Roses'. It does very well for me as long as it gets good snow cover.

I agree with prairie_chick about the snow cover on Wine and Roses. This is the 3rd growing season for mine and winter tip kill above the snow line is extensive. The first winter all the tips were killed back to ground level and the new shoots the following spring were late getting out of the ground. All of the old wood leafed out this year but then it was only 10" tall going into winter and we had lots of snow for a change.

I got a batch this year of species Pink Weigela. I was supposed to be getting mockorange--but it was from directgardens, so they substituted when they ran out. I can't complain too much, for a whole six dollars for ten, but... sigh.

So my west fence line has ten weigela instead, inteplanted with red osier dogwood, lilac, delphs, and siberian onion.

I have one, about 12 years old now. It has never gotten more than 2' high and has never suffered tip kill, as I recall. I have it in an area that *almost always* has good snow cover so I usually get blossoms, as long as the snow cover is good. This year, however, it is terribly chlorotic and that's a new illness for it so I don't know what's going on...maybe it's dead shrub walking

My friend's was planted a few years ago and it's about 3' all the way around. She has a small, sheltered yard. She said it dies back to the snow line but grows quickly. It was COVERED in beautiful red flowers and I was coveting it. I think I'll pick one or two up if they're still there.

I got a Wine & Roses for $5. It's still healthy too. I'm soaking it in DD's pool because it was all dried out. Now to figure out where to plant it...

Gillian, how's your shrub?

Mine was absolutely covered in blooms this year =:)

Has anyone tried those newer weigela varieties like "Ghost",
"My Monet" etc? How did they do in our very northern climate?

It's really great, Marcia! It had no dieback (mind you the winter was warm) and bloomed well this spring, and now out of bloom its foliage is still perfect looking and at least as pretty as my Diablo Ninebark. It didn't grow all that much in terms of height yet though. Oh, here I took a photo of it. Aren't its leaves pretty?

Northspruce, your Wine & Roses W is very pretty! The leaves are perfect. You know, the small size makes it look like that Midnight Wine dwarf variety! I am very tempted to try it here but our lack of snow cover and the chinook winds probably will just kill it though....

I saw one this spring with lovely red flowers. I really don't have anymore room..... LOL

Thanks Ostrich, yes I think Midnight Wine is supposed to be very similar but dwarfed.

My friend of the original post has a nice red variety with green leaves. Not sure which it is but it's probably a Proven Winners too because that's the only brand of weigela I've seen around here.

I have Red Prince and it is doing well; it only bloomed near the bottom like others have said. My miracle was my Polka weigela. I forgot to plant it last year and I just stuck it under a cedar by my deck for the winter. This thing not only survived in its one gallon pot, it bloomed profusely from top to bottom! I think this plant is hardier than indicated by the zone tags.

Mine decided to bloom this year after four years of no flowers whatsoever. Does it like harsh winters? Is it just contrary? I note it hasn’t spread AT ALL in five years...yeesh!