Photinia

Photinia: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Evergreen shrub of 2–5 m, broad and densely branched.

Leaf

Alternate, 8–15 cm, glossy and leathery, finely toothed; young leaves bright red.

Bark

Greyish-brown.

Flower

Flat clusters of small white flowers in May, with a slightly unpleasant smell.

Fruit

Red berries (rarely).

Difference from cherry laurel

Cherry laurel has no red young shoots and a (nearly) untoothed leaf margin.

Flowering: April–May · Pruning: May–June and August–September

Identify by feature: Evergreen leaves

Looks like it, but isn’t

• Cherry laurel Prunus laurocerasus: no red young shoots and a (nearly) untoothed margin. Difference from cherry laurel

Why grow it?

• Bright red young shoots in spring, and again after every trim.
• Evergreen: a dense hedge or specimen shrub that gives privacy all year round.
• Grows fast and regrows well after hard pruning.

Photinia: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; in sun the young shoots are at their brightest.
• Sheltered from cold, drying easterly winds; in an open, cold spot it suffers frost damage more easily.
• Fertile, free-draining soil; no wet feet.
• Allow 2–3 m width as a free-standing shrub; as a hedge it is easily kept at 1.5–2 m.

Light

Sun or partial shade

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Normal

Size

5 m tall, 3 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Holly: A native, evergreen partner for a mixed hedge, with berries for birds.
• Hornbeam: Mixed into a hedge it brings more life for insects and birds, and keeps its brown leaves in winter.
• Wild privet: Native and semi-evergreen, with fragrant flowers for insects and black berries for birds.

Good and bad companions

Best kept away from

• Fruit trees that can catch fireblight from this plant: apple, pear, nashi pear

Photinia: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant from a pot, preferably in spring (April–May), so it is well rooted before winter.
2. For a hedge: 2–3 plants per metre.
3. Mix some compost into the planting soil and set the root ball at the same depth as in the pot.
4. Water well after planting, and in dry spells during the first year.

Care

Watering

In dry spells during the first year; a hedge on dry, sandy soil also later, in dry summers.

Feeding

Some compost or organic fertiliser in spring, especially for a hedge you trim often.

Mulching

A layer of compost or leaf mould keeps the soil moist and protects the roots in winter.

Frost

Protect young plants with fleece in hard frost.

Tip: For a hedge with more wildlife, plant photinia mixed with native shrubs such as holly and hornbeam: you keep the red accents, and birds and insects find more food.

Photinia: when to prune it?

Pruning months: May–June and August–September.

When: In May–June and late August; every trim brings new red shoots.

How:

• Prune in cloudy weather, so that newly exposed leaves don’t scorch; it regrows well after hard pruning.
• Trim a hedge into shape twice a year; a free-standing shrub only where needed.
• An overgrown or bare shrub can be cut back hard in May.

Caution: Don’t prune later than September: the new shoots still need to harden off before winter.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In July–August, take 10–15 cm semi-ripe cuttings, cut the large leaves in half and insert them in moist cutting compost under plastic or glass; they root slowly.

Photinia: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Usually hardy, but sometimes suffers frost damage in harsh winters, especially young plants in an open, cold spot.
• In May, cut frost-damaged branches back to healthy wood; it usually regrows well.

Diseases and pests

• Leaf spot: Small red to purple spots on the leaves, which grow larger and turn grey in the centre; the leaves drop. Clear up fallen leaves, cut out affected shoots and keep growth airy.
• Frost damage: Brown, dried-out leaves and shoots after a harsh winter. Wait until May, then cut back to healthy wood.
• Fireblight: Shoots and flowers suddenly wilt and turn blackish-brown. Cut back well into healthy wood, disinfect your tools and dispose of the prunings.
• Aphids: On the red shoot tips in spring; natural enemies usually deal with them.

Through the year

• April: Red shoots; planting.
• May: Flowering; first trim, in cloudy weather.
• June: Finish trimming; new red shoots.
• July: Water in dry spells; take cuttings.
• August: Second trim, late August.
• September: Last month for pruning: no more trimming after that.
• December: In hard frost, protect young plants with fleece.

What can you use it for?

Garden and landscape

Evergreen hedge with red young shoots, or a specimen shrub.

Caution: Can carry fireblight; sometimes suffers frost damage in harsh winters.

Did you know?

• The red colour comes back every time you trim the hedge, which is why it is so popular for hedging.
• The red young leaves turn green after a few weeks, as they grow and toughen up.
• Photinia comes from the Greek photeinos, ‘shining’, after the glossy leaves; hence also the Dutch name glansmispel (‘shining medlar’).
• Most photinias in our gardens are Photinia × fraseri, a hybrid named after a nursery in Alabama. The well-known cultivar ‘Red Robin’ was selected in New Zealand.