Beauty bush

Beauty bush: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Large, vase-shaped shrub 2.5–3 m high and wide, with arching branches.

Leaves

Oval, 3–8 cm, slightly hairy and in opposite pairs; dull green.

Flowers

Bells of about 1.5 cm, soft pink with a yellow throat, in pairs in dense clusters along the branches.

Fruit

Small, bristly fruits that stay on the branches after flowering.

Bark

Older branches have light brown bark that peels in long strips.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: June–July

Why grow it?

• A spectacular display in May–June: the arching branches look like one pink waterfall.
• Bees and bumblebees readily visit the bells.
• Very hardy and, once established, copes well with drought.
• Attractive outside the flowering season too, with peeling bark in winter.
• The fluffy seed heads keep the shrub light and airy after flowering.
• Little work: removing a few old branches after flowering is enough.

Beauty bush: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; it flowers most freely in full sun.
• Any well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Dry to moist; it dislikes waterlogged roots.
• Give it room: 2.5–3 m to other shrubs, or 1–1.5 m between plants in an informal hedge.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

3 m tall, 3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Roses: They flower alongside it in June and add to the pink tones.
• Hardy geranium: Blue or purple flowers at the foot of the arching branches.
• Catmint: A lavender-blue haze in front, which also copes well with drought.
• Mock orange: White, scented flowers in June, as a neighbour in an informal hedge.

Beauty bush: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or October–November, when the soil is neither frozen nor too wet.
2. Dig a generous hole, twice as wide as the root ball, and loosen the bottom with a garden fork.
3. Mix some compost into the excavated soil, especially in heavy clay or poor sand.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot, backfill and firm the soil well.
5. Water in thoroughly straight away, then weekly in dry spells during the first year.
6. Spread a layer of mulch around the base, but not against the stems.

Care

Watering

Weekly in dry spells during the first year. Once established it copes well with drought.

Feeding

Hardly needed. On poor soil, some compost in March.

Mulching

Leaf mould or wood chips in spring keep the soil cool and weed-free.

Weeding

Keep a circle around young shrubs free of grass and weeds so that they grow away well.

Tip: Let it grow freely and, after flowering, just remove a few of the oldest branches at the base: this keeps it young, free-flowering and beautifully arching.

Beauty bush: when to prune it?

Pruning months: June–July.

When: Straight after flowering, from late June into July. It flowers on the previous year’s wood.

How:

• Each year, saw off 1–3 of the oldest, least floriferous branches just above ground level.
• If needed, cut flowered branches back to a strong, young side shoot.
• Remove dead and crossing branches.
• Renovate an overgrown, bare shrub over three years by removing a third of the old branches at the base each year.

Caution: Do not clip it all over with a hedge trimmer: it would lose its arching shape and next year’s flower buds.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Softwood cuttings

In June–July: cuttings of 10 cm from non-flowering shoots, in moist cutting compost under plastic or in a cold frame. They root readily.

Layering

In summer, bend a low branch to the ground, lightly wound the bark and pin it down under some soil. Sever and transplant it after a year.

Beauty bush: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Very hardy, to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• The peeling bark and arching shape give structure even in winter.
• Do not prune in winter: the buds for next year’s flowers are already on the branches.

Diseases and pests

• Few flowers: Usually caused by too much shade or by pruning in winter or spring. Prune only after flowering.
• Bare at the base: An old shrub that has never been pruned only flowers at the top. Renovate it over three years.
• Aphids: Sometimes on young shoots in spring. Hose them off with water; natural predators do the rest.
• Drought in young plants: Drooping leaves in the first year. Water generously and mulch the base.

Through the year

• February: Rest. The bark peels attractively.
• March: Planting. Compost on poor soil.
• April: Planting. Apply mulch.
• May: Flowering begins. Watch for aphids.
• June: Full flower. After flowering, remove the oldest branches. Take cuttings.
• July: Finish pruning. Water young shrubs in dry spells.
• August: Fluffy seed heads on the branches. Layering.
• October: Planting.
• November: Planting.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The genus is named after the German botanist Richard Kolkwitz. Plant hunter Ernest Wilson brought it to Europe in the early 20th century.
• Amabilis means ‘lovely’; the English name beauty bush says the same.
• Botanists now often place it in the genus Linnaea, as Linnaea amabilis, but the old name is still used in the trade.