ABELIA GRANDIFLORA Golden Abelia – Francis Mason 4,5L

Description

Golden Abelia Francis Mason
Abelia x grandiflora ‘Francis Mason’
Growing Conditions
SUNLIGHT
Full sun to light shade — best foliage colour (rich gold and lime variegation) is achieved in at least 4–6 hours of direct sun daily; too much shade causes the leaves to revert toward green
WATERING
Water deeply once or twice per week during the first growing season to establish roots; once established, water every 7–10 days in summer and reduce to every 2–3 weeks in winter, applying water at soil level rather than overhead
SOIL TYPE
Well-draining, slightly acidic loam or sandy loam enriched with compost; tolerates clay if drainage is improved with grit or organic matter — avoid waterlogged soils which cause root rot
TEMPERATURE
Tolerates approximately -5°C to 38°C; foliage may drop partially in hard frost but the plant recovers strongly from the roots in spring — well-suited to most South African summer-rainfall regions and mild coastal gardens
HUMIDITY
Adaptable — tolerates both the dry highveld air and the humid coastal conditions of KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape littoral; no special humidity requirements
FERTILISING
Feed with a balanced slow-release granular fertiliser (e.g. 3:1:5 or similar) in September at the start of spring, and again in January at midsummer; avoid high-nitrogen feeds in autumn which can stimulate soft growth vulnerable to cold snaps
GROWTH RATE
Moderate — typically putting on 20–30 cm of new growth per season under good conditions, reaching near-mature size within 3–4 years
MATURE SIZE
1.2 m–1.5 m height x 1.2 m–1.8 m spread
Did You Know?
Unlike most flowering shrubs where blooms are the main spectacle, ‘Francis Mason’ puts on a second show after the flowers drop: the persistent reddish-bronze sepals remain on the stems for months, giving the illusion that the plant is still in partial flower well into autumn — a trait horticulturists call ‘persistent calyx display’ that is especially pronounced in this cultivar compared to the straight Abelia x grandiflora species.