Abelia spathulata var. spathulata ("Tsukubaneutsugi")

Japanese name: ツクバネウツギ （衝羽根空木）
Scientific name: Abelia spathulata var. spathulata

[Overview]
A deciduous shrub about 2 m tall, found on sunny ridges and rocky ground in hills and mountains.
The branches are dense and branch well.
Young branches are often tinged with red.
The leaves are simple and opposite, broadly ovate, 2–5 cm long and 1–3.5 cm wide, with sparse short hairs on both surfaces, though the upper surface is sometimes hairless.
The leaf margins have toothlike serrations.
Cymes are produced at the branch tips, usually bearing 2 flowers each.
The flowers are bell-funnel-shaped, 1.7–3 cm long, and the tip is divided into 5 lobes in two lips.
The flowers are white or cream, rarely yellow or pink.
The inside of the corolla has an orange net-like pattern and long hairs.
There are 5 sepals, spreading like a shuttlecock.
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.

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