Species weigela
pink flowers with olive-brown leaves and stems

weigela

Weigela 'Black Magic'

Weigela 'Black Magic' is an easy-care shrub that produces beautiful and decorative dark foliage with deep purple-black foliage all year round. It blooms with clusters of soft pink, funnel-shaped blooms in mid- to late spring and often produces a second bloom in the late summer to early fall. Perfect for a foundation planting, hedging, edging or as a specimen, this shrub grows in USDA zones 4-8 and requires adequate sunlight to reach its maximum bloom potential. Growing up to 4 to 5 feet tall and equally wide, it is also deer and rabbit resistant, and drought tolerant once established.

Cycle:

Perennial

Watering:

Average

Propagation:

Cutting,Layering Propagation,Division,Grafting Propagation

Hardiness Zone:

4 - 8

Flowers:

Deep pink Flowers

Sun:

Full sun

Leaf:

Yes

Leaf Color:

purple,black

Growth Rate:

High

Maintenance:

Low

Care Level:

Medium

watering

Weigela 'Black Magic' should be watered when the top inch of the soil is dry. Depending on your local climate, this could mean watering the plant anywhere from once every few days to once every couple of weeks. Before watering, make sure to examine the soil to ensure that it isn't overly saturated. When watering, be sure to thoroughly saturate the root system. It is best to water in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler, as this prevents the water from evaporating too quickly. When using a sprinkler, keep it away from the leaves and petals of the plant to prevent fungal or bacterial infections.

sunlight

Weigela ‘Black Magic’ does best in full sun, which is defined as 4 to 6 hours per day of direct sunlight. If the plant is receiving less than 4 hours of sun a day, it will struggle to bloom. Too much direct sunlight can lead to leaves becoming scorched, so in hotter climates, it’s best to provide some afternoon shade. During the shorter days of the winter months, some afternoon shade may help to encourage longer bloom times.

pruning

Weigela 'Black Magic' requires at least annual pruning for the healthiest growth. Pruning should be done in late winter, before new growth begins in spring. Remove dead, diseased, or damaged branches first and then trim back any straggly branches. Do no over-prune, as this can reduce flowering. After the initial shaping of the shrub, prune selectively to maintain a pleasing shape. Prune branches that grew during the previous season down to individual buds just above an outward-facing bud. This will encourage full and bushy growth of the shrub. Finally, if needed use broad-leaf pruners to remove branches that are too close together, to encourage better air circulation and light penetration.

Season

Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Starts Flowering

Weigela 'Black Magic' typically starts flowering in late spring, usually in May.

Hardiness Map