Weigela (Weigela florida 'Verweig 6' SONIC BLOOM)
Discover Weigela florida 'Verweig 6' SONIC BLOOM, a low-maintenance, reblooming red-flowered Weigela shrub perfect for sunny garden borders.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
The Weigela florida ‘Verweig 6’ SONIC BLOOM cultivar brings reliable, intense color to the landscape, making it a favorite among gardeners seeking high impact with minimal effort. This specific Weigela variety is highly valued for its robust, reblooming characteristic, offering long seasons of vibrant displays. As a dense, rounded deciduous shrub, it provides excellent structure in garden beds or along boundaries.
Originating from East Asia, this durable Weigela thrives in full sun, ensuring the best performance for its foliage and prolific flowering habit. Its adaptability, including tolerance for clay soils, means it establishes easily in average garden settings. Gardeners benefit from the long blooming period of this particular Weigela, which attracts hummingbirds.
Weigela florida ‘Verweig 6’ SONIC BLOOM is a low-maintenance addition perfect for defining property margins or acting as a substantial hedge. Its manageable size and consistent performance cement its reputation as a dependable, showy landscape specimen throughout USDA Zones 4 through 9.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Caprifoliaceae
- Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 4-9
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 4-6 ft
- Spread: 4-6 ft
- Bloom Time: April to June
- Bloom Description: Red
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Plant your Weigela in the spring or fall for the best establishment rate. Ensure the planting site receives full sun; while it tolerates light shade, maximum flowering on your Weigela florida ‘Verweig 6’ SONIC BLOOM requires at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. This shrub adapts well to average, medium moisture, well-drained soils but exhibits notable tolerance for clay soils.
Water consistently, especially during the first year, to establish a deep root system. Once mature, the Weigela requires only medium water—allow the soil to approach dryness between waterings. It generally does not require heavy fertilization. Prune immediately after the main spring flowering period concludes to shape the shrub; heavy pruning later in the season may remove next year’s buds, although this specific reblooming cultivar is often more forgiving.
For garden success, ensure good air circulation around the foliage to discourage fungal issues, though this plant rarely suffers from serious diseases. If needed, propagation of the Weigela can be achieved successfully using stem cuttings taken during the growing season.
Landscape Uses
The Weigela florida ‘Verweig 6’ SONIC BLOOM is incredibly versatile, serving excellently as a formal or informal hedge due to its naturally mounded habit and dense foliage. Its 4 to 6-foot mature height makes it perfect for screening property margins where a mid-sized screen is desired. Furthermore, its reliable, bright red spring bloom makes it an outstanding choice for bordering walkways or foundations.
When designing mixed borders, plant this Weigela alongside later-flowering shrubs or perennials to ensure continuous visual interest throughout the season. Its bold color contrasts beautifully with fine-textured foliage plants or contrasting lighter green or silver-leaved specimens. Use individual shrubs as handsome specimen plants near entryways to showcase the spectacular coloration of the Weigela florida ‘Verweig 6’ SONIC BLOOM.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Weigela florida is native to northern China, Korea and Japan. It is a dense, rounded, deciduous shrub that typically grows to 6-10’ tall and may spread over time to as much as 12’ wide. Branching is somewhat coarse, and branches on mature shrubs tend to arch toward the ground. Funnel-shaped, rose pink flowers (each to 1.25” long) bloom profusely in spring, with a sparse and scattered repeat bloom often occurring in mid to late summer. Elliptic to obovate, medium green leaves (to 4.5” long) with serrate margins retain good color throughout the growing season. Insignificant fall color. Fruit is inconspicuous. Flowers are attractive to hummingbirds. The genus name Weigela honors Christian Ehrenfried Weigel (1748-1831), German professor at the University of Geifswald. The specific epithet florida means “freely flowering”, in reference to the flowering habit of this species. ‘Verweig 6’, commonly sold under the trade name of SONIC BLOOM, is an upright mounded reblooming cultivar that typically produces a floriferous bloom of lipstick red flowers in May with subsequent waves of rebloom from mid-summer to frost. On average, this shrub grows to 4-6’ tall and as wide. U.S. Plant Patent Applied For (PPAF).
Tolerances
- Clay Soil
Potential Problems
The Weigela florida ‘Verweig 6’ SONIC BLOOM rarely develops serious insect or disease issues, contributing significantly to its low maintenance rating. Generally, pests like aphids or spider mites can appear, though seldom in damaging numbers. Ensure good air circulation during planting to minimize any risk of common fungal leaf spots. Proper pruning after the initial bloom prevents overcrowding and encourages healthy new growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Weigela suitable for?
The Weigela, including the reliable ‘Verweig 6’ SONIC BLOOM cultivar, is best suited for gardens within USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 9.
How large does Weigela florida ‘Verweig 6’ SONIC BLOOM grow?
This cultivar typically matures to a size between 4 to 6 feet in both height and spread, maintaining a manageable, mounded shape.
When does Weigela bloom?
This specific variety provides flowers from April right through June, often interspersed with scattered repeat blooms later in the summer, showcasing its vibrant red coloration.
What sun exposure does Weigela need?
For the most abundant and vivid flowering, the Weigela requires full sun exposure throughout the day.
Wildlife Benefits
This deciduous shrub provides valuable early-season resources for beneficial visitors. The trumpet-shaped flowers of the Weigela are noted for being particularly attractive to hummingbirds seeking nectar. Planting Weigela ensures that your landscape offers support for pollinators when many other species are just beginning to emerge or shortly after they have finished their first flush of bloom.
Companion Planting
Because Weigela florida ‘Verweig 6’ SONIC BLOOM appreciates similar soil and moisture conditions, it pairs well with other medium-sized, sun-loving shrubs. Consider planting it near Hydrangeas (if planted in slightly dappled shade, or drought-tolerant varieties), or use low-growing evergreen groundcovers at its base to mask the soil line. Spring-flowering bulbs also perform well beneath the developing canopy of this shrub.
Conclusion
The Weigela florida ‘Verweig 6’ SONIC BLOOM is an exceptional selection for gardeners prioritizing low maintenance coupled with high aesthetic return, particularly due to its dependable reblooming display of red flowers. This durable Weigela offers structure and vibrant color across a wide range of climates, USDA Zones 4-9. Check your local hardiness zone compatibility and plan to plant during cooler seasons to maximize its establishment success next spring.
