Kolkwitzia amabilis comes from central and eastern China, and it arrived in Western gardens in the early twentieth century to considerable fanfare that has since settled into quiet, reliable service. It is an upright, arching shrub with a naturally fountain-like habit, growing 6 to 10 feet tall, and in late spring the sprays of pink bell-shaped flowers with soft yellow throats are genuinely lovely. The resemblance to Weigela is noticeable, but Beautybush has a lighter, more graceful silhouette and exfoliating bark on mature stems that adds winter interest.

It blooms on old wood, which is the one thing to remember when pruning. Hard cutting in winter will cost the spring display; instead, remove the oldest stems immediately after flowering or in late winter at most. In time, without attention, the shrub becomes leggy and carries most of its foliage in the upper canopy. Periodic renewal pruning, even to the ground every few years, keeps it dense and floriferous. It tolerates clay soil and is deer resistant, which makes it useful in a range of situations where more temperamental shrubs would struggle.