Beauty bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis 'Maradco' DREAM CATCHER)
Kolkwitzia amabilis 'Maradco' DREAM CATCHER, the Beauty bush, is a low-maintenance shrub prized for its profuse spring bloom and dynamic foliage.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maradco’ DREAM CATCHER, commonly known as Beauty bush, is celebrated for its stunning mid-spring floral display, featuring soft pink, bell-shaped flowers that create an immediate visual impact in the landscape. While famous for its blooms, this cultivar also offers excellent foliage interest; its leaves change dramatically throughout the season, starting coppery and maturing to golden-chartreuse by summer. As a low-maintenance, deer-tolerant deciduous shrub, the Beauty bush provides reliable structure and seasonal color, making it an excellent choice for larger properties needing screening or background planting.
This arching, vase-shaped shrub handles average conditions well, thriving in full sun where its colors remain vibrant. Its relative ease of care contributes to its popularity, needing only occasional pruning to maintain shape and health over the years. Gardeners looking for an established, robust flowering shrub should consider the Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maradco’ DREAM CATCHER for its dual-season appeal.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Caprifoliaceae
- Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 4-8
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 6-9 ft
- Spread: 6-9 ft
- Bloom Time: April to May
- Bloom Description: Soft pink
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Plant the Beauty bush in a location receiving full sun for the best flowering and foliage color development. It thrives in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils. While it tolerates full sun, note that filtered sun may actually enhance the foliage color, leading to better spring and summer tones for this cultivar.
Water moderately, especially when establishing the shrub, ensuring the soil remains consistently moist but never soggy. Maintenance for Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maradco’ DREAM CATCHER is generally low. Primarily, prune out any dead wood as needed. Be aware that the stems can become dense over time.
For rejuvenation or size control, hard pruning back to the ground is permissible in late winter, though this will sacrifice the spring bloom for that year. Alternatively, prune immediately after flowering concludes. Since the shrub blooms on old wood, hard pruning in late winter prevents flower production but allows the stems to grow taller throughout the season.
Landscape Uses
The Beauty bush is highly effective when massed or used to create natural screens or informal hedges on expansive properties. Its mature size of up to 9 feet tall and wide allows it to serve as an excellent backdrop in mixed shrub borders, providing structure once taller perennials fade. While marginally ornamental as a formal specimen, its exfoliating bark offers winter interest.
Consider planting Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maradco’ DREAM CATCHER near foundation plantings where its arching habit can soften hard lines, or incorporate it into a large flowering shrub border alongside other spring-blooming favorites like Lilac or early Rhododendrons. Because it handles clay soil, it pairs well with other hardy, adaptable shrubs.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Kolkwitzia amabilis, commonly called beautybush, is a member of the honeysuckle family. It is primarily grown for its outstanding spring flowers, appearing in profuse clusters in mid-spring. The DREAM CATCHER cultivar is particularly noted for its attractive, ever-changing foliage, emerging with copper tones, turning golden-chartreuse in summer, and finishing bright orange and gold in the fall. Mature stems also feature exfoliating bark, adding texture to the winter garden.
Tolerances
- Deer
- Clay Soil
Potential Problems
This plant typically faces no significant insect or disease problems, making the Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maradco’ DREAM CATCHER a relatively worry-free addition to the garden. Regular monitoring, especially after pruning stress, is good practice, but severe infestations or persistent fungal issues are uncommon for this hardy shrub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Beauty bush suitable for?
The Beauty bush, Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maradco’ DREAM CATCHER, is hardy and adaptable across USDA Zones 4 through 8.
How large does Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maradco’ DREAM CATCHER grow?
This deciduous shrub typically matures to a height and spread between 6 and 9 feet, possessing a distinctly arching, vase-shaped habit.
When does Beauty bush bloom?
The profuse flowering period for the Beauty bush occurs in mid-spring, specifically from April to May, displaying soft pink blossoms.
What sun exposure does Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maradco’ DREAM CATCHER need?
While it performs well in full sun, the foliage of the DREAM CATCHER cultivar reportedly develops its best coloring in locations receiving sun-filtered light or part shade.
Conclusion
The Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maradco’ DREAM CATCHER offers gardeners an exceptional combination of low maintenance and high visual reward, highlighted by its heavy spring bloom and striking seasonal foliage shifts. For reliable performance in zones 4-8, this Beauty bush variant is a superb choice for hedges or background screening structures. Ensure you plant it where it receives appropriate moisture and plan pruning carefully to maximize its stunning spring flowers.
Companion Planting
When planning the surrounding landscape for your Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maradco’ DREAM CATCHER, select plants that appreciate similar moisture levels and benefit from its size. Consider pairing it with later-blooming shrubs or summer-flowering perennials that can take over the color display after the beauty bush finishes in May. Early summer bloomers like Peonies (if soil is suitable) or various Hydrangea varieties work well underneath or beside it, providing continuous interest as the shrub matures into its summer foliage phase.
Seasonal Care Calendar
Spring before bloom is the ideal time for any necessary corrective pruning, focusing on shaping or removing crossing branches. After the mid-spring bloom (late April/early May), hard pruning should only be undertaken if immediate size reduction is required, as winter pruning removes the season’s flowers. During the hottest parts of summer, ensure medium water needs are met, especially in dry regions, to support the golden-chartreuse foliage. Winter offers subtle interest from the exfoliating bark of mature stems, requiring no special preparation if sited within its established zones 4-8.
