Japanese name: コツクバネウツギ（小衝羽根空木） Scientific name:Abelia serrata var. serrata
[Overview]
A deciduous shrub 1–2 m tall, found in sunny places such as hills.
The branches are dense and branch well.
Young branches are usually reddish brown.
The leaves are simple and opposite, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, glossy on the upper surface and often tinged with red.
The leaf margins have irregular teeth or are entire.
Cymes are produced at the branch tips, usually bearing 2–6 flowers each.
The flowers are bell-funnel-shaped, 1–2 cm long, and the tip is divided into 5 lobes in two lips.
The flowers are cream or yellow, and the outside of the corolla is sometimes tinged with pink.
The inside of the corolla has an orange net-like pattern and hairs.
There are 2–3 sepals, often with the tip divided in two.
The fruit is an achene.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
It prefers sunny, well-drained, moisture-retentive soil rich in humus.
With insufficient sun, flowering is poor.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil dries out.
In winter, apply slow-release chemical fertilizer or organic fertilizer around the plant.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
