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- Weigela floribunda
Weigela floribunda — crimson weigela
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Facts
Weigela floribunda is a shrub native to Japan. It grows to a height of 3 meters. In New England, it is planted and infrequently escapes cultivation.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (human-disturbed or -maintained habitats), forest edges, ridges or ledges, woodlands
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- 
                                
                                    - Connecticut
- Massachusetts
 
- Growth form
- the plant is a shrub (i.e., a woody plant with several stems growing from the base)
- Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaves per node
- there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
- armature on plant
- the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
- Leaf blade length
- 70–100 mm
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Bark texture
- the bark of an adult plant is ridged or plated
- Twig winter color
- 
                                
                                    - brown
- gray
 
- Bud scale number
- there are three or more scales on the winter bud, and they overlap like shingles, with one edge covered and the other edge exposed
- 
                        Buds or leaf scars- Bud scale number
- there are three or more scales on the winter bud, and they overlap like shingles, with one edge covered and the other edge exposed
 - Bud scar shape (Fraxinus)
- NA
 - Collateral buds
- there are no collateral buds on the sides of the branches
 - Leaf scar arrangement
- there are two leaf scars per node on the stem or twig
 - Superposed buds
- there are no superposed buds on the branch
 - Winter bud scale hairs
- the winter bud scales are hairy
 - Winter bud stalks
- the winter buds have no stalks
 
- 
                        Flowers- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
 - Enlarged sterile flowers
- there are no enlarged sterile flowers on the plant
 - Flower petal color
- 
                                
                                    - pink
- red
- white
 
 - Flower symmetry
- 
                                
                                    - there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
 
 - Hairs on ovary (Amelanchier)
- NA
 - Hypanthium present
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
 - Inflorescence hairs
- there are no hairs on the inflorescence
 - Inflorescence position
- 
                                
                                    - the inflorescences grow on older branches
- the inflorescences grow on the twigs
 
 - Inflorescence type
- 
                                
                                    - the flowers grow out of the axil (point where a branch or leaf is attached to the main stem)
- the inflorescence is a monochasial cyme (an axis with a terminal flower, below it a branch with a terminal flower, this branch may itself have a branch and so on)
 
 - Number of pistils
- 1
 - Ovary position
- the ovary is below the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
 - Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
 - Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
 - Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are fused to form a tube, cup, or bell shape
 - Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble leaves in color and texture
 - Sepal cilia (Ilex)
- NA
 - Sepals fused only to sepals
- 
                                
                                    - the sepals are fused to each other (not other flower parts), at least near their bases
- the sepals are separate from one another
 
 - Stamen number
- 5
 
- 
                        Fruits or seeds- Berry color
- NA
 - Fruit tissue origin
- there are no flower parts that form part of the fruit
 - Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
 - Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
 - Nut with spines (Fagaceae)
- NA
 - Wings on fruit
- there are no wings on the fruit
 
- 
                        Glands or sap- Sap color
- the sap is clear and watery
 - Stalked glands on fruit (Rosa)
- NA
 
- 
                        Growth form- Growth form
- the plant is a shrub (i.e., a woody plant with several stems growing from the base)
 
- 
                        Leaves- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf has hairs on it
 - Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
 - Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
 - Leaf blade base symmetry
- the leaf blade base is symmetrical
 - Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
 - Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
 - Leaf blade edges (Acer)
- NA
 - Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
 - Leaf blade hairs
- the hairs on the leaf blade are different from the choices given
 - Leaf blade length
- 70–100 mm
 - Leaf blade scales
- there are no scales on the leaf blades
 - Leaf blade shape
- 
                                
                                    - the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
 
 - Leaf blade translucent dots
- there are no translucent dots on the leaf blade
 - Leaf blade vein pattern
- the main veins of the leaf blade are pinnate (the secondary veins branch off at intervals from the main central vein) and non-arcuate (not arched towards the leaf tip)
 - Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base toward the tip
 - Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
 - Leaf form
- the plant is broad-leaved (with broadly flattened leaf blades)
 - Leaf lobe tips (Quercus)
- NA
 - Leaf midrib glands
- the midrib of the leaf blade lacks glands on the upper surface
 - Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
 - Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
 - Leaf stalk nectaries
- there are no nectaries on the leaf stalk
 - Leaf stalk shape
- the leaf stalk is not flattened
 - Leaf teeth
- the leaf blade margin is serrate (with forward-pointing) or dentate (with outward-pointing) with medium-sized to coarse teeth
 - Leaf teeth hairs (Carya)
- NA
 - Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
 - Leaves per node
- there are two leaves per node along the stem
 - Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
 - Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant, or they fall off as the leaf expands
 
- 
                        Place- Habitat
- terrestrial
 - New England state
- 
                                
                                    - Connecticut
- Massachusetts
 
 - Specific habitat
- 
                                
                                    - edges of forests
- human-disturbed or -maintained habitats
- ridges or ledges
- woodlands
 
 
- 
                        Scent- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor, or it has an unpleasant or repellant odor
 
- 
                        Stem, shoot, branch- Aerial roots
- the plant has no aerial roots
 - Bark texture
- the bark of an adult plant is ridged or plated
 - Branch brittleness (willows only)
- NA
 - Branch cross-section
- 
                                
                                    - the branch is circular in cross-section, or it has five or more sides, so that there are no sharp angles
- the branch is roughly square or rectangular in cross-section, with four sides and four edges
 
 - First-year cane (Rubus)
- NA
 - Lenticels on twigs
- there are no lenticels on the twigs, or they are very hard to see
 - Short shoots
- there are no peg- or knob-like shoots present
 - Twig bloom
- there is no bloom on the twig
 - Twig hairs
- the twigs have hairs, but the hairs do not have glands
 - Twig papillae (Vaccinium species only)
- NA
 - Twig scales
- there are no scales on the twig surface
 - Twig winter color
- 
                                
                                    - brown
- gray
 
 - Wings on branch
- the branch does not have wings on it
 - armature on plant
- the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
 
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Weigela floribunda (Sieb. & Zucc.) C.A. Mey. E
crimson weigela. Diervilla floribunda Sieb. & Zucc. • CT, MA. Forest borders, old homesteads, ledgy woodlands, areas of habitation.
Native to North America?
No
Synonyms
- Diervilla floribunda Sieb. & Zucc.
 
                        ![Bark: Weigela floribunda. ~ By Bruce Patterson. ~ Copyright © 2025 Bruce Patterson. ~ foxpatterson[at]comcast.net](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Caprifoliaceae/weigela-floribunda-ba-bpatterson.jpg) 
                         
                        ![Fruits: Weigela floribunda. ~ By Bruce Patterson. ~ Copyright © 2025 Bruce Patterson. ~ foxpatterson[at]comcast.net](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Caprifoliaceae/weigela-floribunda-fr-bpatterson.jpg) 
                        ![Fruits: Weigela floribunda. ~ By Bruce Patterson. ~ Copyright © 2025 Bruce Patterson. ~ foxpatterson[at]comcast.net](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Caprifoliaceae/weigela-floribunda-fr-bpatterson-b.jpg) 
                        ![Plant form: Weigela floribunda. ~ By Bruce Patterson. ~ Copyright © 2025 Bruce Patterson. ~ foxpatterson[at]comcast.net](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Caprifoliaceae/weigela-floribunda-ha-bpatterson.jpg) 
                        ![Winter buds: Weigela floribunda. ~ By Bruce Patterson. ~ Copyright © 2025 Bruce Patterson. ~ foxpatterson[at]comcast.net](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Caprifoliaceae/weigela-floribunda-wb-bpatterson.jpg) 
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