Susan is also blogging at GardenRant.Red-tipped Photinia x fraseri and Photinia serrulata
Common Red-Tipped Photinia x. Fraseri
You see it everywhere in the South, used as a screening hedge or all by itself. Some folks love them and have no complaints but I notice that photinias are increasingly recommended against because they can suffer from leaf spot fungal disease, especially in the warmer regions. (Though where I live in Maryland is pretty warm and the photinias in my neighborhood look great, so I might give photinia a try myself.)
Details
- Grows to 15 feet tall and wide.
- Hardy to Zone 7 (and 6, with protection).
- Grows fastest and is less disease-prone in full sun.
- The varieties 'Indian Princess' and 'Red Robin' are reported to have better resistance to disease. 'Red Robin' is also more compact.
- Very drought-tolerant.
- Leaf spot fungal disease can appear in spring and fall when the weather is cooler, especially when it's rainy.
Care
- To improve resistance to disease, prune for create better air circulation by thinning, and avoid shearing. Pruning is best done in winter when the shrubs are dormant.
- Also, siting photinia where air circulation is best helps (though that doesn't help your already-huge shrubs, does it?) This means not planting them too close to each other, as is often done to create hedges.
- Another prevention tip is to avoid getting water on the leaves. Water the root zone at ground level only.
- Likes moderately acidic soil, so feeding with Hollytone is suggested, though not in summer.
And a Better Photinia
Photinia serrulata, from China, is increasingly recommended as an alternative to red-tipped photinia because of its resistance to leaf spot. Its new growth is more copper-colored, so less spectacular than the red-tip.
Details
- Listed as growing to 15 by 12 feet, it's also been known to grow to 30 feet tall (in full sun), so keep that in mind.
- A "moderate to rapid" grower.
- Also, quite drought-tolerant.
- Happy in full sun to part shade.
- Also hardy to Zone 7, or Zone 6 with protection.
Care
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This photinia is still somewhat vulnerable to another fungal disease — powdery mildew — when it's grown in shade, so use the same care techniques listed above.
More Great Info in Print
- Gardening with Conifers
by Adrian and Richard Bloom - Confers for Gardens: An Encyclopedia
- A Garden of Confers
by Obrizok - Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs
by the best-known authority on the subject.
Location Matters
My test garden is in the Washington, D.C. area, Zone 7A. If you have comments about this plant you'd like to see included here, send them along.
Photo credits: Red-tipped, and Photinia serrulata.
