Sweet Emotion Blaze Abelia (Abelia mosanensis 'Sweet Emotion Blaze')
ah-BEE-lee-ah mosanensis 'Sweet Emotion Blaze'

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Mounding in the Caprifoliaceae Family
 
Buy Sweet Emotion Blaze Abelia
Size Notes Price Availability
#3 gallon Field $42.42

Limited Availability

A cold-hardy, deciduous abelia grown for its intensely fragrant spring flowers and fiery yellow-to-red fall foliage.

Abelia mosanensis 'Sweet Emotion Blaze' is a cold-hardy, deciduous shrub selected for intensely fragrant spring flowers and vivid fall color. Pink buds open to white, pink-blushed blooms in May and June, filling the garden with a sweet, spicy scent that is this cultivar's signature trait. Its dense, upright, mounding habit reaches roughly 5–6 ft. tall and 4–5 ft. wide at maturity, with fresh green foliage that turns yellow, red, and burgundy in fall. Unlike the more familiar evergreen Abelia x grandiflora hybrids, this species is bred for cold hardiness and is marketed to USDA zone 4, though it is a newly patented (2025) introduction with limited long-term track record in Midwest gardens. It blooms on old wood, so siting it out of harsh winter wind helps protect next spring's flower buds. Deer-resistant and a strong draw for bees and butterflies, it works well as a specimen, in a mixed border, or as an informal hedge.

Pros

  • Intensely, sweetly fragrant spring flowers — the standout trait of this cultivar
  • Vivid yellow-to-burgundy fall foliage color
  • More cold-hardy and compact than common evergreen abelia hybrids; deer-resistant
  • Low-maintenance and drought-tolerant once established; attracts bees and butterflies

Cons

  • Blooms on old wood — a hard winter can kill back branch tips and reduce next spring's bloom
  • Very recently patented (2025) with little multi-year track record in Midwest gardens yet
  • Sources disagree on cold hardiness (zone 4 per breeder marketing vs. zone 5–6b per more conservative species-level sources) — worth treating with some caution in a zone 5b/6a market
  • Must be pruned only right after flowering, or the next season's flower buds are lost
Highlights Powerfully fragrant spring flowers; standout yellow-to-burgundy fall color; more compact and cold-hardy than common evergreen abelias.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 5 - 6 feet tall. 4 - 5 feet wide.
Growth Rate Fast
Sun Exposure Partial Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium: Drought-tolerant once established; avoid letting soil dry out during spring bud development, and ensure good drainage to prevent root rot.
Zones 5a - 8b (Usually hardy to -20° F)
Tags Deciduous, Dry, Full Sun, Medium, Partial Sun, Perennial
Bloom Period May to June
Flower Color Pink buds opening to white, with pink-blushed corolla tubes
Foliage Color Green
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Pricing and Availability History

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!