Korean abelia is a perennial shrub native to Korea in the olive family (Oleaceae). It is considered endangered in the wild in Korea. The genus name is in honor of Clark Abel a British surgeon and naturalist. The Greek suffix of phyllum means "leaf." The specific epithet means "two-ranked" in reference to the placement of the leaves. This shrub will grow 3-5 feet tall with a 3-4-foot spread. It prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade. It is adaptable to various soils as long as they are well-drained. Prune immediately after flowering because flower buds develop on the current year's growth. Korean abelia can be severely pruned every few years to reduce a ragged appearance. The spring flowers are white and sometimes pink-tinged. The green leaves are 2-ranked along the stems. The winged fruit is similar to that of an elm. Use this plant in small groups to enjoy spring blooms. Plant herbaceous perennials or annuals in front of the shrub to hide a ragged appearance after blooming. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Multi-stemmed; Multi-trunked; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
This plant has opposite, smooth-edged, simple, medium-sized green leaves that are 2 to 3.5 inches long. They are 2-ranked along the stem.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
This plant has white to lightly pink-tinted, 4-petaled flowers open from purple buds in spring (March and April) before leaves emerge. Flowers are borne in axillary racemes and are mildly fragrant (though not as showy as other forsythias).
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Samara
Fruit detail
Winged fruit
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Stems have corky ridges, are 4 sided and are purplish-brown to tan.