Abelia Podcast Script
This is an abelia. It is a dicot. It grows to be 5 to 8 ft wide and tall. It is a large rounded shrub. It has arching, multi-stemmed and dense branches. Also it has small fragrant flowers. They are .7" trumpet shaped with 5 lobes. It ranges in color from lavender to pink to white. Flowers bloom summer till fall. The fruit is small (less than .5") and ovate. It has a hard shell and is tan. It is not showy or noticeable. Abelia has small glossy ovate leaves that grow to .7 to 1.5 inches. It also has opposite leaf arrangement. The leaves turn bronze in the fall. The border of the leaf is serrate. Also if you look at the base of the shrub the bark is grayish and can be pealed off. You can see that the new stems are a light brownish-red. It is Semi-Evergreen. So basically it is an evergreen in Southern regions but in colder regions it will loses 50% of its leaves. It cannot survive temperatures below -15° C. It originated in China but was cultivated in Italy in the Rovelli nursery. It does well in mid to southern Unites Sates or zones 6-9. Abelia is great for attracting butterflies and birds. It is resistant to dears. It does not have any major disease or pest problems. When planting it should be spaced 36 to 60 inches apart. It grows rapid to moderate speed and is easily grown. You should water once every two to three weeks deeply. It is drought tolerant. It needs full sun to part shade. It can also tolerate severe pruning. It is easily transplanted. It likes acidic soil that is well drained and moist but can take clay and sandy soil. One problem with it, is that it can look unkempt.

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