General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Foliage of this cultivar reportedly produces best color in sun-filtered part shade locations. Prune out dead wood as needed. Shrub stems tend to become dense and overgrown after several years, in which case thinning stems or cutting back all stems to the ground may be advisable. Hard prunings to the ground may be performed in late winter or immediately after flowering. Plants bloom on old wood, so hard pruning in late winter will result in loss of bloom for the season, but plants stems will grow taller during the season.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

As a member of the honeysuckle family, beautybush is closely related to Weigela (see S330) and Diervilla (see W440). Although species plants (see Kolkwitzia amabilis at A931 herein) have unchanging green foliage and are primarily grown for their outstanding spring flowers, DREAM CATCHER is perhaps most noted for its attractive and ever-changing foliage. Broad-ovate leaves (to 3” long) emerges in spring with copper tones. Leaves turn yellow by May bloom time, mature to a green-tinted golden-chartreuse by summer and finally turn orange and gold in fall. This is a suckering, deciduous shrub that typically grows 6-9’ tall with an arching, vase-shaped habit. Bell-shaped soft pink flowers appear in clusters (corymbs to 3” wide) in a profuse mid-spring bloom (late April to early May in St. Louis). Flowers are followed by capsule-like fruits that usually persist on the plants. Exfoliating bark on mature stems provides some winter interest. Genus name honors Richard Kolkwitz (1873-1956), German botany professor.

Problems:

No significant insect or disease problems.

Uses:

May be massed or grown as a screen or hedge on larger properties. Excellent in small groups. Specimen for lawns, shrub borders or foundations. Containers.

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