Plants
Weigela planting zones
Weigela covers 4a–8b, but the zone is only half the answer. Of the 3 types below, 2 carry their flower display through the spring freeze window, and 1 more does too but reblooms after it. That difference decides whether a late freeze costs you a season of flowers.
Published October 30, 2026 · Cite this page
The types
Which weigela you are choosing between
| Type | Zones | A late freeze |
|---|---|---|
| Old-fashioned weigela Weigela florida (e.g. ‘Variegata’) | 4a to 8b, then too hot | Exposed 6 to 10 feet tall (NC State); blooms in spring, typically April in South Carolina (Clemson). |
| Reblooming weigela Weigela florida Sonic Bloom series, Wine and Roses | 4a to 8b, then too hot | Partly exposed Repeat bloom in late summer or early fall (Clemson), so a lost spring flush is not a lost year. |
| Dwarf weigela Weigela florida My Monet, Snippet, Spilled Wine | 4a to 8b, then too hot | Exposed 1.5 to 3 feet tall (Clemson); many dwarfs grow well in containers (NC State). |
Zone ranges and bloom habit are a judgement — horticultural convention, not a measurement, and the same standing as the heat ratings on our crop tables. Everything below this panel is measured.
Zone by zone
Which weigelas are hardy where, and when the freeze lands
The two left columns come from the variety table above — a judgement. The two right columns are measured: they are the median last spring freeze across every NOAA station the zone’s ZIP codes actually cite, and how much later the one-year-in-ten freeze arrives.
| Zone | Hardy here | Flowers exposed | Last spring freeze | 1 year in 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4a | 3 of 3 | 2 (plus 1 partly) | May 6 – May 27 across 298 stations | about 14 days later |
| 4b | 3 of 3 | 2 (plus 1 partly) | May 2 – June 1 across 477 stations | about 14 days later |
| 5a | 3 of 3 | 2 (plus 1 partly) | April 28 – May 31 across 718 stations | about 14 days later |
| 5b | 3 of 3 | 2 (plus 1 partly) | April 22 – May 28 across 752 stations | about 15 days later |
| 6a | 3 of 3 | 2 (plus 1 partly) | April 18 – May 24 across 1004 stations | about 16 days later |
| 6b | 3 of 3 | 2 (plus 1 partly) | April 11 – May 19 across 991 stations | about 16 days later |
| 7a | 3 of 3 | 2 (plus 1 partly) | April 5 – May 9 across 941 stations | about 17 days later |
| 7b | 3 of 3 | 2 (plus 1 partly) | March 30 – April 26 across 679 stations | about 16 days later |
| 8a | 3 of 3 | 2 (plus 1 partly) | March 20 – April 16 across 689 stations | about 17 days later |
| 8b | 3 of 3 | 2 (plus 1 partly) | March 7 – April 17 across 700 stations | about 19 days later |
“Hardy here” and “flowers exposed” are a judgement, from the variety table above. The freeze dates are measured — NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, and the range is across the stations the zone’s own ZIP codes cite rather than one station chosen to speak for it.
Why the date matters
Your zone does not tell you your last freeze
Across the 10 zones above that publish a range, the median last spring freeze varies by 34 days inside a single zone — 21 days even in the tightest, zone 4a, and 41 in the widest, zone 8b. Two gardens with the same zone on the label can be a month apart on the date that decides whether weigelas flower.
And the median is not the risk. Across the 5,673 NOAA stations serving these zones, the freeze that arrives one year in ten lands a median of 16 days after the median date, and 20 days after it at the tenth of stations where that tail runs longest. A variety marked exposed above has its flowers standing in front of that whole window, not in front of one date.
⛔ We publish no temperature at which a bud is lost. NOAA’s normals give dates, not damage thresholds, and inventing a number to bridge the two is the one thing this site refuses everywhere else. What is on this page is when the freeze arrives and which flowers are out when it does.
Which weigela for your zone
Clemson says weigela can be planted in zones 4 through 8b, which includes most of South Carolina. Old-fashioned weigela blooms in spring, typically April in South Carolina (Clemson) and late May or June in Iowa (Iowa State), and newer cultivars repeat bloom in summer and fall.
| Weigela | Size and bloom (Clemson) |
|---|---|
| Sonic Bloom series | 4 feet; spring, and again in late summer or early fall |
| Wine and Roses | 5 feet, dark purple leaves; spring, and sporadically through summer |
| ‘Variegata’ | 5 feet, green leaves edged yellow; flowers change white to pink |
| Czechmark Trilogy | 3 feet; flowers change white to pink to red |
| My Monet, Snippet, Bloomin Easy Electric Love | Dwarfs about 1½ feet tall |
| Spilled Wine | 2 to 3 feet, deep purple leaves |
Clemson says the tubular flowers attract hummingbirds. Because the spring flush comes from last year’s wood, a late freeze in the table above can take it; the rebloomers flower again on new growth.
Planting
- Part sun to full sun, 6 hours or more (Clemson); NC State says the best flowering and leaf color come in full sun.
- NC State’s toolbox lists acid, neutral and alkaline soils, and says weigela tolerates clay and air pollution and is lightly salt tolerant.
- Size: 6 to 10 feet tall and 9 to 12 wide for the species (NC State); cultivars are smaller, and many dwarfs grow well in containers.
Pruning
Iowa State says weigelas bloom on both old and new wood: heavily in late May or June on last year’s growth, then on and off through summer on the current season’s. Clemson says weigela blooms on old wood, so late pruning reduces next year’s flowers.
- Late winter or early spring: Iowa State prunes out any winter-killed wood and, on large, established plants with little dieback, removes a few of the largest, oldest stems. NC State removes older interior branches in late winter to improve vigor and bloom.
- Right after the spring bloom: a light pruning (Iowa State); NC State says just after flowering is best for shaping, because the flowers form on last season’s wood.
Full guide: How to Prune Flowering Shrubs: Spring vs Summer Bloomers
Supplies
Supplies the sources mention
Each link opens an Amazon search for a plain kind of product, not one we picked. We have not tested these, and we do not rank them.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra and changes nothing on this page: the dates are NOAA’s and the advice is the extension services’. Affiliate disclosure
- Bypass hand prunersIowa State lightly prunes weigela right after its late spring bloom and cuts out winter-killed wood in late winter.
- LoppersOn large, established weigelas, Iowa State removes a few of the largest, oldest stems in late winter or early spring.
Winter dieback
Iowa State says weigelas are prone to winter dieback, and NC State says they may experience it. Look the plant over in late winter or early spring and cut back to live wood before the new growth starts (Iowa State).
Common problems
- Minimal insect and disease damage (NC State).
- Deer may browse it (NC State).
- Winter dieback, above.
- An unpruned weigela forms a fountain shape that looks weedier over time (NC State).
Common mistakes
- Heavy pruning in summer or fall, which cuts next spring’s flowers on old wood (Clemson).
- Leaving winter-killed wood in; Iowa State prunes it out in late winter.
- Shade, which costs flowers and leaf color (NC State).
- A full-size weigela where a dwarf would fit (NC State, Clemson).
We found no Texas A&M or UF/IFAS source on weigela we could read; the Southern advice here is Clemson’s and NC State’s, and Clemson rates weigela only to zone 8b.
Your ZIP code
Your ZIP, your answer
Enter your ZIP code to see your USDA zone, which of the 3 types on this page are rated for that zone and when its late-freeze window runs, read from the table on this page, and the freeze dates of the NOAA station nearest you.
Your answer appears here.
Full details for any ZIP code: ZIP code zone finder.
Questions
- When should I prune weigela?
- Lightly, right after the spring bloom. Iowa State also removes dead wood and a few of the oldest stems in late winter or early spring, and Clemson says late pruning reduces next year’s flowers.
- Does weigela bloom on old or new wood?
- Both, Iowa State says: heavily in late spring on last year’s growth, then on and off through summer on the current season’s. Clemson says the main bloom is on old wood.
- What zones does weigela grow in?
- Clemson says zones 4 through 8b.
- Why are the branch tips on my weigela dead after winter?
- Winter dieback. Iowa State says weigelas are prone to it, and prunes out the dead wood in late winter or early spring.
- Which weigela reblooms?
- Clemson names the Sonic Bloom series, which blooms in spring and again in late summer or early fall, and Wine and Roses, which blooms sporadically through summer.
Sources
Freeze dates on this page are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, for every station the ZIP codes in each zone cite. Zones are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. The type table is a judgement, as labelled above. Growing advice is quoted from the extension publications below, each written for its own area.
- Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, How To Grow and Care for Old Fashioned Weigela (Weigela florida) , by Ginger Elizabeth Long (April 9, 2026). Written for: South Carolina (USDA zones 8a–9b).
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, When should I prune my weigela? . Written for: Iowa (USDA zones 4b–6a).
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Weigela florida (weigela) . Written for: North Carolina (USDA zones 6b–9a).
- Penn State Extension, How and When to Prune Flowering Shrubs , by Barb Ryan (Updated September 16, 2026). Written for: Pennsylvania (USDA zones 5b–8a).
Published October 30, 2026
How to cite this page
Copy a citation below. The accessed date is today's, filled in by your browser; if it shows [date], put in the day you read the page. Check the format against the style guide you are using.
APA
USGrowersGuide.com. (2026, October 30). Weigela planting zones. Retrieved [date], from https://usgrowersguide.com/plants/weigela
MLA
“Weigela planting zones.” USGrowersGuide.com, 30 Oct. 2026, usgrowersguide.com/plants/weigela. Accessed [date].
Seasonal jobs for this plant
Related
- Hydrangea planting zones — 7 types, 4 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Magnolia planting zones — 6 types, 3 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Dogwood planting zones — 5 types, 2 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Serviceberry planting zones — 4 types, 4 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Crape myrtle planting zones — 3 types, 0 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Rose planting zones — 8 types, 1 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Azalea planting zones — 5 types, 4 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Japanese maple planting zones — 2 types, 2 of them with new leaves exposed to a late freeze
- Lilac planting zones — 7 types, 6 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Viburnum planting zones — 6 types, 6 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Camellia planting zones — 4 types, 1 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Gardenia planting zones — 4 types, 3 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Forsythia planting zones — 3 types, 3 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Spirea planting zones — 4 types, 3 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- Rose of Sharon planting zones — 3 types, 0 of them with flowers exposed to a late freeze
- All plant guides
- When to Plant Trees and Shrubs in Fall, by Zone — watering and mulch after planting, and the last fall planting date for each zone
- ZIP code zone finder — your exact USDA zone, and your nearest NOAA station’s freeze dates
- What survives my winter — the same zone arithmetic over 74 perennial edibles, which is a separate table from the one above
- When to start my seeds — the spring calendar anchored on the same measured last-freeze dates
- Your hardiness zone is not a planting date — the whole dataset behind the spread quoted above