BEAUTY BUSH

(Kolkwitzia amabilis), ornamental flowering shrub of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to central China; it is the only member of its genus. Its paired, bell-like flowers, one above the other, range in colour from white to pink and are massed at the branch tips. The early summer flowers of the beauty bush are followed by brown, bristly fruits that persist on the bush into winter. The leaves are oval, and the maximum height of the shrub is about 2.5 m (8 feet).