Looking for something a little different for your butterfly garden? You’ve just found it! Sweet Emotion abelia is a very special shrub indeed. It’s unlike any other abelia for two reasons: one, it’s extremely hardy, thriving even in chilly USDA zone 4. And second, it blooms in spring with the most amazing jasmine fragrance. The plant was originally collected in Latvia several decades ago, and the plant geeks at Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs worked with it to bring out the bright pink in the flower buds, as well as a slightly smaller, more refined habit than the original.
The abundant flowers serve as a welcome meal for butterflies emerging from dormancy in spring, and swallowtail butterflies are especially attracted to it. It makes a fantastic specimen or hedge plant, in your butterfly garden or anywhere in your landscape.
Vital details:
Plant size: 5-6’ tall and wide
Light: full sun (6+ hrs/day), part sun (4-6 hrs/day)
Hardiness: USDA zone 4-8 (Find your hardiness zone)
Pollinator value: attracts butterflies, especially swallowtails
Notable features: fragrant, deer resistant, hard to find
Pot size: one quart
Plant name: Sweet Emotion® Abelia mosanensis ‘SMNAMDS’ pp#27,370, cbr#5937