''Linnaea amabilis'', also known under the synonym ''Kolkwitzia amabilis'' and the English name beauty bush, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is a deciduous shrub grown as an ornamental plant. In China, where it originated, the plant is called ''wèi shí '' (蝟实).

Description

The plant is an arching, spreading shrub, with light brown flaky bark and graceful arching branches, which can grow higher than tall. It is usually as wide as it is tall. The plant blooms in late spring. Its light pink flowers, dark pink in the bud, are about one-inch long and bell-shaped ("tubular campanulate"); they grow in pairs, as with all Caprifoliaceae, and form showy, numerous sprays along ripened wood. Its leaves are opposite, simple, and ovate, from long, entire or with a few sparse shallow teeth. Its fruit is a hairy, ovoid capsule approximately inches long.

Taxonomy

The species was first described by

Paul Graebner Carl Otto Robert Peter Paul Graebner (29 June 1871 in Aplerbeck – 6 February 1933 in Berlin) was a German botanist. In 1895 he obtained his doctorate in Berlin, successively working as an assistant and then as curator (1904) at the botanical ...

and placed in his new genus, ''Kolkwitzia'', whose name honours

Richard Kolkwitz Richard Kolkwitz (March 23, 1873 – April 16, 1956) was a German botanist who was a native of Berlin. He studied natural sciences at the University of Berlin under Adolf Engler (1844–1930) and Simon Schwendener (1829–1919), and from 1895 to ...

, a professor of botany in Berlin. The specific epithet ''amabilis'' means "lovely". In 2013, it was suggested that ''Kolkwitzia'', along with the genera ''

Abelia ''Abelia'' is a previously recognized genus that contained about 30 species and hybrids, placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae. Molecular phylogenetic studies showed that the genus was not monophyletic, and in 2013, Maarten Christe ...

'', '' Diabelia'', ''

Dipelta ''Linnaea'' is a plant genus in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. Until 2013, the genus included a single species, ''Linnaea borealis''. In 2013, on the basis of molecular phylogenetic evidence, the genus was expanded to include species f ...

'' and ''

Vesalea ''Vesalea'' is a plant genus in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. They are native to Mexico. The genus was circumscribed by Martin Martens and Henri Guillaume Galeotti in Bull. Acad. Roy. Sci. Bruxelles vol.11 (1) on page 242 in 1844. The ...

'', be merged into an expanded genus ''

Linnaea ''Linnaea'' is a plant genus in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. Until 2013, the genus included a single species, '' Linnaea borealis''. In 2013, on the basis of molecular phylogenetic evidence, the genus was expanded to include species ...

''.

History

The beauty bush originates in Central China, where it has been discovered for western science twice; once by the Jesuit missionary Giuseppe Giraldi in Shensi, and then in western

Hubei province Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...

by the British explorer and plant collector E.H. Wilson. Wilson sent plant material to his sponsors Veitch Nurseries in

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal c ...

in 1901, where the shrub flowered for the first time in 1910. The shrub became very popular in the eastern United States following World War I – almost a defining shrub in American gardens made between the World Wars. It is very rare and threatened in the wild.

Cultivation

Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use. Under the synonym ''Kolkwitzia amabilis'' the cultivar ‘Pink Cloud’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

Pruning

Opinions differ concerning how much pruning the shrub needs. The University of Missouri Horticulture Department suggests minimal intervention, so long as the plant has enough room to develop, up to a maximum height of and a potential "spread" of . Others suggest more active intervention to encourage development of new flowering branches and buds, with decisive pruning immediately after flowering.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1779255 Caprifoliaceae Flora of China