General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Best flowering is in full sun. Prefers moist, organically rich soils which drain well. Somewhat evergreen in the South, but generally deciduous in the St. Louis area where stems may suffer substantial damage (including dying to the ground) in cold winters. Significant stem damage can be expected when winter temperatures approach zero degrees F. Best sited in protected locations in the St. Louis area. Plants bloom on new wood, so prune as needed (e.g., remove stems lost to winter and, if desired, thin to the ground up to 1/3 of old stems) in late winter to early spring.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

SILVER ANNIVERSARY is a compact sport of A. x grandiflora ‘Prostrata’. It is an abelia hybrid (A. chinensis x A. uniflora) that features attractive red-tinted, bright green leaves variegated with silver to cream margins. This is a dense, rounded, multi-stemmed shrub in the honeysuckle family. Growing size depends to some degree on location. In warm winter areas (e.g., USDA Zones 8-9), it will typically grow in a spreading mound to 2-3’ tall. However, in the St. Louis area where the stems may die to the ground in winter, plants will typically grow to only 1-1.5’ tall in a single season. Clusters of trumpet-shaped white flowers (to 3/4” long) appear in the upper leaf axils and stem ends over a long and continuous late spring to fall bloom period. Flowers are mildly fragrant. Ovate, glossy, bright green leaves (to 1.25” long) with red tints have silvery white margins. U.S. Plant Patent Applied For (PPAF).