''Linnaea'' × ''grandiflora'',

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

''Abelia'' × ''grandiflora'', is a hybrid species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae, raised by hybridising '' L. chinensis'' with '' L. uniflora''.

Description

It is a deciduous or semi- evergreen multistemmed

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

with rounded, spreading, or gracefully arching branches to tall. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are ovate, glossy, dark green, and long. The fragrant flowers are produced in clusters, white, tinged pink, bell-shaped, to 2 cm long. Unlike most flowering shrubs in cultivation, the species blooms from late summer to well into the autumn. The Latin

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''grandiflora'' means "abundant flowers". "Abelia", the common name and former genus name, honors Clarke Abel, physician and naturalist who collected seeds and plants on a British expedition to China in 1817.

Cultivation

''Linnaea'' × ''grandiflora'' was first raised in 1886 at the Rovelli nursery at Pallanza (now Verbania), on Lake Maggiore in Italy. It is used as an ornamental plant in specimen plantings in gardens, or in a mixed border with other shrubs. Though relatively easy to cultivate, it is not fully

hardy Hardy may refer to: People * Hardy (surname) * Hardy (given name) * Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica * Mount Hardy, Enderby Land * Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island * Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands Australia * Hardy, Sout ...

, and requires a sheltered position in full sun. Abelia prefers moist, organically rich soils with good drainage. Propagation is by cuttings. This plant is still widely listed in Australia and the UK under the name ''Abelia''. The variegated cultivar 'Hopleys’, with pale pink flowers and growing to 1.5m × 1.5m, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

References

* * Lorenzi, H.; Souza, M.S. (2001) ''Plantas Ornamentais no Brasil: arbustivas, herbáceas e trepadeiras.'
Plantarum
. Caprifoliaceae Interspecific plant hybrids {{DEFAULTSORT:Linnaea grandiflora