Companion Plants for a Red Prince Weigela

Contrast and Depth

• The red blossoms of Red Prince stand out against evergreens and plants that have variegated foliage. Juniper (Juniperus chinensis) has remarkable foliage and some varieties bear fruit. The cultivar Blue-Point has silvery-blue foliage and blue-green fruit. A variety of arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis “Techny” grows 12 feet high, tolerates cool weather climates and has dark green foliage. Evergreens provide contrasting textures when Weigela is blooming and take over the focal point when the bloom-time is done.

Hummingbird Nurturers

• Attract hummingbirds to your garden by planting Weigela with rhododendron, columbine (Aquilegia) and nicotiana (Nicotiana alata). Extension horticulturist Betty Eness at Iowa State University states on the school's website that hummingbirds prefer tubular-shaped flowers in colors of red, pink and fuchsia. Eness recommends Prince Red in combination with coral berry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus), phlox (Phlox paniculata) and trumpet vine (Campsis radicans).

Staggering Blooms

• Red Prince begins blooming in early June, just as Spanish bluebell (Scilla campanulata), a flowering bulb, is finishing up. Many bulbs bloom in early spring; afterward, their foliage fades into the background and shrubby plants begin to take over the show. Peonies (Paeonia) work well with Red Prince, and they are available in hybrids that bloom early (Bowl of Beauty), mid season (Krinkled White) and late in the year (President Lincoln). Bowl of Beauty blossoms are rose-pink and the President Lincoln cultivar has striking deep-red flowers. Keep in mind that peonies prefer well-drained, composted soil.

Drought Tolerance

• Put in companions of butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) and blue-mist spirea (Caryopteris) with Red Prince to achieve a landscape that tolerates dry weather and plentiful sunshine. Keep in mind that Weigela needs extra water to be at its best, but it won’t die in less-moist times. Hundreds of dark blue blossoms cover the low mounds of blue-mist in summer when Prince Red is not in bloom. Butterfly bush blooms in rampant disregard for formality, but it can be pruned back to a more formal presentation if desired. These plants do well in containers and are resistive to browsing deer.