Plant One Fast-Growing Flowering Beauty To Enjoy A Garden Full Of Hummingbirds & Bees

Sometimes, the name says it all. Beauty bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis) is just as lovely to look at as the name implies, but it's got more than just good looks going for it. The pink bell-shaped flowers that beauty bush produces in the spring, are a favorite of pollinators like bees and hummingbirds. So, if you're looking to start a pollinator garden, you should consider adding this easy-to-care-for bush to your yard. Be sure to find the right place for it, though. This plant can grow 2 feet per year, topping out around 10 feet tall and they can get just as wide.

A native of China, beauty bush is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8 and the tubular or bell-shaped flowers that produce nectar make them a favorite of hummingbirds, and bees. Gardeners love this bush, too, because it is pretty easy to care for. You'll get better blooms in full sun but better foliage color in partial shade. If attracting pollinators is your goal, give it the sun it needs to produce the most profuse blooms. It will do fine in average, well-drained soil. And once this plant is established in the ground, you won't need to worry about watering it unless drought conditions ensue.

Considering its potential size of 10 by 10 feet, you need to carefully consider where to use beauty bush in your garden. While you can cut beauty bush back to the ground in late winter, it produces blooms on old wood so you don't want to get in the habit of having to hack it back too often. The birds and bees will be disappointed the following spring.

Traditionally, beauty bush is often used at the back of borders. Once the flowers are spent, they can provide a dense, but unremarkable background for the later bloomers in the garden. However, you can also consider planting these near a vegetable garden to bring in pollinators. You can lure bees and hummingbirds into the yard in early spring and then keep them around with plants that are hummingbird magnets and these 10 plants for your pollinator garden.

Because beauty bush grow so quickly, densely, and tall, it also makes a great hedge. And because they grow so big, you may be able to get away with using fewer plants to cover the same amount of space as some other plants commonly used for privacy hedges. Better yet, they don't need much pruning and will form a wall of flowers in the spring.