Sheffield's Seed Company Page

Central China and was discovered in western Hubei province by Ernest Wilson, who named it after Richard Kolkwitz, a professor of botany in Berlin. It was first introduced into horticulture by Veitch Nurseries in Exeter in 1910. The shrub became very popular in the Eastern United States following World War I, almost a defining shrub in American gardens made between the World Wars. Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, and the cultivar ‘Pink Cloud’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
Benefits
Kolkwitzia amabilis, commonly known as the beauty bush, is a deciduous shrub grown as an ornamental plant. It is a nice big shrub of arching vase-like habit that grows quickly and produces pink flowers with yellow throats in vast profusion in spring, especially when grown in the sun. It is adaptable and native to central China. The fragrant flowers that smell like vanilla last for up to two months in late spring-early summer. The Kolkwitzia amabilis beauty bush is an eye-catching addition to any garden with its graceful arching branches and lovely pink flowers.