For those who are flowering deciduous shrub lovers, I saw this one in a nursery today in Saanich. There are quite a few Weigelas out and about, and I am sorry I bought mine, nice enough, a dark red bloom, medium-to-dark green leaves [name tucked away in my notebook] last year without seeing this one! "Nain Rouge" is SPECTACULAR -- it's apparently rather dwarf [not very very small, just apparently does not grow over 2 or 3 feet], rich green leaves, and blossoms the like of which I have not seen on a weigela -- they look like quince blossoms, being an orangey-red with very bright yellow stamens. Very arresting. The sample was a beautiful one, must be almost full size if "dwarf", and nicely shaped, quite mounding and cascading, not vase-shaped. I just have no space for it!
It appears the cultivar is actually 'Courtanin' with Nain Rouge being instead a selling name. http://images.google.com/images?q=w...US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi Google translates Nain Rouge to red dwarf. Cat? Kryton? Lister? Rimmer? Are you there?
Yes, I did a web search after I saw it, and read the many French listings of it, and the references to "Courtanin" on the more scholarly plant sites... I however purchased an inexpensive young spirea japonica "Neon flash" even though I don't really care for spireas other than the bridalwreath one [she said she wanted some colour!] for my neighbour's front townhouse garden, as I didn't have the heart to plant an expensive and beautiful shrub I covet myself there; how selfish. [Someone else might purchase the property and remove the weigela!] If I had had a space for it I would have spent the $20 and planted it in my garden... as it is, I probably should have taken out one of the lacecap hydrangeas which are still here and which I am cultivating and replaced it with the Courtanin...
