Red Prince Weigela is one of the best selling plants that I grow. I guess it’s the striking red flowers that attract attention that make it such a great seller.
Red Prince grows well in zones 4 through 8.
Red Prince loves full sun but it will also tolerate some shade.
Rich green leaves really make the pink to red flowers really stand out. Some of these blooms look pink, but in natural light they really are more red than anything.
Red Prince Weigela is super easy to propagate. It’s a fast grower but also very easy to maintain at just about any size you want them to be. If you wan them to grow to a height of 60″ that’s no problem. I you want to keep them as a rounded shrub only 30″ tall they work perfect for that as well.
They Root easily as Softwood Cuttings in the Summer and just as easily as Hardwood Cuttings in the Fall, Winter and Early Spring.
Red Prince Weigela is a great pollinator and the horn shaped flowers attract Humming Birds and Butterflies like crazy.
Deer Resistant? I honestly don’t know, but I can assure you they are deer resilient. If they deer do munch on them, unlike an evergreen, they will bounce right back.
Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I will respond. Until then, by any and all means stay inspired!
I found these available at a small online retailer, $5 for a 6-12″ seedling. Ordered 4. Will plant in my garden and will get cuttings this time next year. Thanks Mike!
How long do Weigelas bloom and do they bloom more than once?
Heinz,
They bloom for about two to three weeks and they will make more flowers later in the year, especially after pruning and new growth appears. There are new varieties that are supposed to bloom even more but I honestly don’t know how much more.
Are they poisonous to livestock like cattle and horses? I would like to plant them along my fences but the animals always seem to find a way to reach some of the plants.
Bob,
Not that I know of, the donkeys pretty much eat anything that is near the fence.
Hello, I have four red prince olabts. I have two that appear to be growing up which we want as we purchased for semi privacy for our patio. We have two that do not seem to be growing and are growing out-more so laying on the ground. Is there something additional we can do for these two to get them to be upright as the other two so they are all looking the same? Thanks!
Melissa,
They sound like a different variety of plant, probably have to replace them.
Hi Mike
My name is Phedelma and I’m in Johnson City TN. Wanted to ask if you have any Red Prince Weigelia for sale! I’m a member of Backyard Growers and the Growers University. Trying to get started May the 7th at the Farmers Market Downtown Johnson City. Was interested in trying to grow some Red Prince for my business. My business name is Gifted Hands Plants. I have my certification certificate to be legit from the Agriculture Dept. look forward to here back. Tks. And God Bless you for sharing your knowledge with so many people.
Phedelma,
I do have Red Prince Weigela but I am not shipping any plants at this time. But since you are a member, http://backyardgrowers.com/join, just ask in the members area and somebody will offer some up.
Thank you Mike. You’re a God send, God bless al your endeavors.I’ll contact them and hope they have some available.
Mike, Please put me on your E-Mail list
Thank you
Hi Mike. Do you sell them in the pots? I’m located in Upstate NY, in zone 6B, and would need 3-5, but am not interested in starting them from cuttings. Thank you.
Lori,
I do, and I’m pretty sure that we still have some on hand.
I have never seen the Red Prince Weigela in the Pacific Northwest am I able to grow one they are beautiful.
Lennie,
I’m sure you can.
If I join do I have to have a resale or wholesale License to buy plants from members list? I don’t want a business, just a hobby and sell extra to friends and neighbors.
Kim,
You don’t need a license to buy plants in our members area. http://backyardgrowers.com/join
Hi Mike. I bought a wine and roses I believe it is called in early summer and it was in bloom. I planted it and it hasn’t bloomed again. I have fertilized it but I have no clue what is going on with it. Also I was wondering if you can direct me to a list of plants that are patent free that I can propagate and sell. I had no idea there were even patents for plants. Also is it ok to grow plants from seeds and sell them or is there patents on them as well. If you can point me in the right direction it would be great. I have looked all over the internet and I am so frustrated.
If you can help I would apperciate it
Thank you
Penny Henderson
Penny,
Wine and Roses blooms in the spring and might make a few flowers later in the season. It used to be patented and the name is still trademarked and off limits. Your frustration could be easily solved if you test drive our members area for 30 days. You can get all of your questions like this answered in almost real time. And you can buy non patented plants that you are free to propagate. http://backyardgrowers.com/join See this list, but finding the plants is the challenge; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2019/03/non-patented-public-domain-plants-that-you-should-be-free-to-propagate/
I have a tango weigela that we purchased 2 years ago and each spring it has bloomed beautifully. However, this spring, there is only one branch that has bloomed and all the other branches are bare and some are brittle. I’m not sure what happened. Should I cut it down and hope for better results next season?
Angie,
Seems odd. Remove the dead wood for sure. This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
Hey Mike are these plants supposed to die back every year. I have several of these in zone 6. Every spring new shoots come out of the ground and not on the previous years wood. Makes for an unsightly plant. Definitely not one of my favorites early spring. Am I suppose to cut them back to the ground every fall?
Brian,
No, here in zone 5 they do just fine and do not die back to the ground. Are you sure you have Red Prince?
I live in zone 6 and mine never dies back! I also had one when living in zone 4 and it never died back!
I’ve seen something very similar but with yellow blooms. Could it be a variety of Weigela?
I don’t think so. But maybe.
I have several Weigela that used to flower pink. Now they are flowering yellow and at the same time as the forsythia! I know I had pink blooms on them a couple of years ago!!!!
I have no explanation. I think what you now have is forsythia growing where the weigela used to be. I’m not even familiar with a weigela that blooms yellow and if there is one, it’s not going to just randomly pop up in a garden.
Hi Mike,
In April 2021, you made a reference about yellow weigela saying
‘ I’m not even familiar with a weigela that blooms yellow ‘
You might be interested to know that I have seen one advertised in
England as ‘ Middendorffiana (yellow). ‘
The blooms have particularly impressive throats as they are very intricately detailed. Eventual height and spread of 2m but can be kept back with regular pruning which will encourage stronger flowering. Flowering May-July.
I am just about to purchase a collection of three —
one of Olympiade (red with yellow leaves), Red Prince and Middendorffiana (yellow) and the three together should look impressive with a mixture of the red and yellow — so will give it a try.
They come in 9 cms pots.
Hope that this is of interest to you and your followers – as I have been for many years.
David,
Thank you for this information. In quick Google search I did find it, but they all, or most seem to be in the Uk???? Here’s a photo; https://www.keepingitgreennursery.com/products/weigela-middendorffiana-middendorf-weigela
I have many Weigela plants, I don’t know which variety as they were growing when I bought the property. But they got too big and began to develop “witches broom” as the previous owners hedge pruned them. I decided to cut them way, way back, like 1″ above the ground. They responded beautifully, By the next year they were a nice sized shrub and bloomed as usual. My plants prefer full sun but can do well in light shade. Its a great plant with beautiful flowers. I’m with Mike, these are highly recommended.
Paul,
Thanks for sharing your experience with heavy pruning, most are afraid to prune that aggressively.
Do you mean twig blight? I have never heard of witches broom on a weigela
Can I order the Red Weigela later this spring from you??
Terrence,
I don’t ship any plants but many of our members, http://backyardgrowers.com/join, do.
Does anyone know how to get new cuttings from?
Toye,
See this; http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
My dad had a small nursery and grew a lot of weigelia.. He wanted to see if it was going to grow in snow country, so sent some to Lake Tahoe with me. It died! I am surprised to hear it grows in your climate. Sunnyvale used it a lot in median plantings.
Charline,
It does great in zone 5 Ohio.
How do you keep deer out of your growing area
Bill,
Deer can be challenging but for me they are not a problem. I’m not sure if the huge coyote population helps with that or not. They sure keep the rabbits in check. But for deer a fence is really the most effective thing you can use. But it has to be high.
When is the best time to prune Weigela?
Faye,
You can trim Weigela anytime they need it.
My Weigela are 3 years old 2.5 ‘ tall and as wide and quite healthy! I love them but want to keep them from getting out of hand. I’ve watched the pruning of Spirea… should I use the same method? and is it wise to thin them by 30% ? Thanks a million.
Lori,
Thinning them is fine. If heavy pruning is needed it would be best to do that after Thanksgiving. Trim them now, but if you really want to cut them hard, do so when dormant.
Hi Lori Beth! Can you please offer me some advice? I just planted some red prince this spring and the are getting some spotted yellow leaves and some brown dropping leaves. I water them three times a week. Am I over watering? There are also some dead branches.
Jackie,
Red Prince Weigela are very easy to care for. The spotted leaves could be from wetting them often or some times they get a few bugs on them. You shouldn’t have to spray them this time of year. The leaves will soon drop and they’ll be beautiful in the spring. They shouldn’t need any more water this year unless really dry.
Hi Mike bigger nursery stopped growing these in Wisconsin because they are not patient no more I say at farmer markets if I can’t sell a weigela I would be back they are the biggest seller I try patient weigela ‘s they are slow growing and harder to sell one of my biggest reason’s I jointed I Had wine & rose an a tango in same size pots the tango out sold I be looking for 100 or more each kind I can find thanks Louis Williamson knotty pine nursery Seymour wis
How n where can I find these flowers to buy?
Judy,
You might find them locally or online. In our members area, http://backyardgrowers.com/join, they usually sell for about $2.00 each. Maybe less for a rooted cutting.
How much are they?
Gene,
Locally I retail them for $6.97 each and in our members area, http://backyardgrowers.com/join
, they are regularly available for $2.00 each or less via mail order.
Hi Mike! If you take cuttings of these in the fall or winter to root out would you leave them outside over winter? Living in west Michigan and being new to propagation and just trying to figure it out. I want to run my own nursery at some point.
Jake,
Yes, hardwood cuttings do fine outside in the elements. Just take 4″ cuttings, stick them in some soil, almost any kind of soil works and water in the spring as needed to keep them moist. I now do all of my hardwood cuttings at the end of March. See these links; http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-winter-time-plant-propagation-can-home/
and this; http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2016/09/hardwood-cuttings-winter-of-20152016/
It that when you do your grapevine cuttings as well Mike or do you still do those in April? Thank you.
Pat,
Grape vines should be done during the winter or very early spring while still dormant.
Weigela was one of my Mother’s. favorites. Haven’t seen it in a long time.
Do the leaves stay on in Winter? Think so-forgot.
Would they be good along front porch-morning sun?
Would “mouse ears” (I think-lost page) fit along with them?
Rebecca,
They are not an evergreen, they’d be fine along a porch and the Blue Mouse Ears would be fine in front of them.
Weigela is was a favorite plant of my mother. I do not recall a pretty red
like this. Does this plant retain leaves during winter-to make a pretty bush?