Growing the Red Diamond Loropetalum

Size and Appearance

The Red Diamond Loropetalum is an evergreen shrub with a dense, twiggy form, growing between 4 and 6 feet tall and up to 5 feet across. It doesn’t need trimming to keep it dense and upright, it does it naturally, keeping branches close to the ground. It grows about 9 inches a year, and is bushy, so it just gets better and better with age, like a fine red wine. The reddish-brown bark on young stems is attractive, and becomes darker and starts to flake on older branches.

This unique shrub doesn’t look like it would be evergreen, as the leaves are soft and thin, but it is. It holds the leaves all winter, except in colder parts of zone 7, where some leaves will fall, thinning it out a little, but still pretty leafy. They are about 1½ inches long and ½ an inch wide, oval and neat, a little like an azalea leaf, with the same soft hairy feel, but thinner and more delicate. In spring, about the time flowers appear, the new leaves come out too, colored a gorgeous bright red. It looks magnificent and vibrant, from right across the garden – a real knockout. Older varieties tend to turn greenish in summer, but your Red Diamond Loropetalum won’t do that. The leaves darken to a deep purple-red, and stay that way until the following spring.

In hot zones it can be February when blooms appear, but March is more usual. The plant blooms profusely, carrying hundreds of flowers, in clusters of 6 to 8, on short stalks along the stems. Each flower has 4 strap-shaped petals twisting and curling – a pretty unique effect that we also see in witch-hazel shrubs, but almost nowhere else. The color is the brightest red ever seen on these plants – pure, clean, without any purple, and true lipstick scarlet. The impact is fantastic and these plants in bloom are truly captivating. Flowers last for several weeks, and you will often get some more during summer and early fall. Clusters of seed-pods follow, like tiny acorns, but these are curious, not really showy.

Using the Red Diamond Loropetalum in Your Garden

The moderate size, combined with density and upright growth make the Red Diamond Loropetalum incredibly versatile, finding a place everywhere in your garden. Grow it among evergreens around your house, perhaps near the front door, or plant it out in your shrub beds, in all garden styles, from Asian to woodland. It’s a great companion to azaleas and other partial-shade shrubs, or under deciduous trees. It makes a great planter-box shrub in zones 9 and 10, and a fabulous novel hedge, spacing plants about 3 feet apart. You can trim it or not, as you choose.

Hardiness

The Red Diamond Loropetalum has really found an ideal home in the Sunbelt, and through the southeast. It grows wonderfully in zones 8, 9 and 10. In zone 7 it should be planted in a sheltered spot, and allow for the fact that some leaves will fall in winter there, but otherwise it should do well.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Very light adaptable, the Red Diamond Loropetalum grows well in full sun, or with a few hours of shade each day, and also in light full shade, such as fence or wall shadow, or the light shade from some tall trees. Almost all well-drained soils work out well, but moist, rich and slightly acidic soils do give the best results. Use plenty of organic material as mulch, and mix a little into the backfill, if your soil is very sandy or full or clay. It develops good drought resistance once it has established, and despite its exotic look it is amazingly easy to grow.

Maintenance and Pruning

Pests, diseases and even deer don’t bother the Red Diamond Loropetalum. You can trim in spring, as the main flowering ends, but only if you want to – otherwise you can just leave it grow naturally (and beautifully).

History and Origin of the Red Diamond Loropetalum

The Chinese fringe-flower, Loropetalum chinense, grows in China, Japan, and much of south-east Asia. The usual wild plant has green leaves and white flowers, which is why it never attracted much attention. In China they have known about a rare form with red leaves in spring and fall, and pink flowers. Botanists call it ‘variety rubrum’. Several plants were introduced into the west in the 1990s, and breeders immediately set to work improving them. Thomas Meadows, Jr. and James Berry are experts with these plants, working at Plant Development Services Inc., in Loxley, Alabama. They sowed a big batch of seeds of this red variety, and early this century they selected some of the best. Their seedling with the brightest red flowers (plus all its other great features) was named ‘Shang-Red’. After further testing for quality and durability it has been released to gardeners as Red Diamond, part of the Southern Living® Plant Collection.

Buying the Red Diamond Loropetalum at The Tree Center

We love this great plant, and also its sister, the Purple Diamond® Loropetalum. We can’t choose between them so why not get both? If you have to make a choice you will love it, but these plants are so stunningly popular we almost have to tie them down to stop them running away, so order now – they sure won’t be around for long.

Growing Ruby Loropetalum

Size and Appearance

The Ruby Loropetalum grows into a compact bush, between 3 and 5 feet tall and wide, with a rounded form. It is densely branched right to the ground, and stays that way, never becoming tree-like or spreading wide. The small leaves are about one inch long, and rounded ovals, with a slightly undulating edge. They are covered in short, soft hairs, a bit like evergreen azaleas. In spring the new leaves are bright ruby red, slowly darkening into the summer to become dark green, highlighted by the continuing red leaves of developing shoots. In fall the leaves often turn bright red, holding that color well into the winter months, before turning ruby red again in spring. The changing leaf colors create a very interesting color progression through the seasons and are surely more interesting than varieties that are simply the same color all year round.

Between February and March, depending on where you garden, this shrub will flower profusely. Some flowers continue to be produced over summer and right up to the first frost, but the main spring blooming, set against the red new leaves, is the show-stopper. The flowers are small, but many grow all over the bush, on short stems carrying 6 to 10 blooms. Each flower has four narrow, slightly twisted strap-shaped petals, in the most stunning and vibrant pink color that you have ever seen. A bush in bloom shines out across the garden as no other plant will – no wonder these bushes have become so popular.

Using Ruby Loropetalum in Your Garden

This plant is perfectly sized for any garden. In small gardens it is an excellent focal plant and specimen. In larger gardens it can be grown with other shrubs in beds, in the front or middle areas. Grow it as a single accent, or in groups of 3 or 5, spaced 3 feet apart, or wider apart with ground-cover between them. This plant looks great contrasted with silver, blue or light yellow. It can also be grown as an edging along a pathway, or as a low hedge, trimmed or natural.

Hardiness

You can grow the Ruby Loropetalum in any of the warmer parts of the country, from zone 7 into zone 10. Some loss of leaves in zone 7 is normal, but the plant soon fills out again in spring, and blooms normally.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Ruby Loropetalum will grow in full sun or partial shade, and even in light full shade. The best foliage colors will be seen in the sun, although in the hottest areas some afternoon shade is beneficial. The ideal soil is moist, rich and well-drained, but ordinary garden soil is fine too. Avoid wet soil and alkaline soils. Add organic material when planting, and as mulch each spring. Water regularly, but established plants are also very drought resistant when they need to be.

Maintenance and Pruning

No significant care is needed for this great shrub. It normally has no pests or diseases and it is usually left alone by deer. Some spring fertilizer is helpful but not essential, and if you do want to trim, do it in late spring, after blooming, and through the summer if necessary.

History and Origin of Ruby Loropetalum

It was in the 1930s that the first plants of the Chinese fringe flower, Loropetalum chinense, arrived in America, but they didn’t attract much interest from many people because the leaves were green and the flowers whitish-yellow, and the plant had no particular beauty. It was only in the last decades of the last century that the rare form called ‘variety rubrum’ arrived from China. There it had been grown for a long time. With its bright red spring leaves and pink flowers, it immediately caught the attention of enthusiastic gardeners. Those early varieties were about 10 feet tall, and the variety called ‘Ruby’ was one of the first, and still one of the best, of the more compact forms. We don’t know where it came from, but it was probably being grown in America before 1990 – and it’s still going strong.

Buying Ruby Loropetalum at The Tree Center

Sometimes it is best to grow’ tried and true’ varieties, and that is certainly true of the Ruby Loropetalum. The changing leaf colors are a fascinating feature that keeps your landscape active and vibrant. Order now, because this well-established variety is only available in small quantities, and they sell out very quickly.

Growing Purple Diamond® Loropetalum

Size and Appearance

The Purple Diamond Loropetalum is a dense, upright, evergreen shrub growing 4 to 6 feet tall and about 5 feet wide. It is naturally densely branched, and without trimming it still doesn’t become broad and spreading as older varieties do. Branching is kept to the ground, and it has the perfect specimen shape for gardens of all sizes. The stems have reddish-brown bark when young, turning browner and flaking in small plates when older. It will add at least 9 inches in height each year, while also growing denser, so it won’t take long to mature, which is great, but it won’t get enormous, which is even better.

The leaves don’t immediately look evergreen, but they are, although in colder places a few might drop over winter, to be quickly replaced in spring. They are about 1½ inches long, and ½ an inch wide, with a neat oval shape. They are covered in short, soft hairs a little like evergreen azaleas, but it is the color we are here for, and the new growth in spring, coinciding with flowering, is a brilliant and striking rich red. Other varieties then often fade to dingy green, but this one darkens to a rich purple, and stays that way through summer and winter too, so it’s always striking and showy.

Through March, or even as early as February in the hottest zones, flowers appear all over the bush, making a spectacular show. The flowers are small but profuse, carried in clusters of 6 to 8 on short stalks among the leaves. Each flower has four strap-shaped petals, slightly twisted, in a brilliant rich reddish-pink – an extremely warm, vibrant and striking color like a dark fuchsia pink. Set among the new red leaves the effect is dynamite, and this is a truly eye-catching plant for your garden. Some flower stems continue to grow through summer and even into fall. By then there will also be clusters of seed pods, which look a little like small acorns on short stems – interesting even if not particularly showy.

Using Purple Diamond® Loropetalum in Your Garden

With its moderate size and dense, upright growth, this plant is perfect to add to the evergreen planting around your home, or out in your beds with all kinds of shrubs. It is especially attractive as a hedge, spacing plants 3 to 4 feet apart, and it is neat enough to need little trimming to get that ‘hedge’ look, as well as responding to tighter trimming for a more formal look. It is also great in large tubs or planters, as well as a background for azaleas in a wooded area.

Hardiness

The Purple Diamond Loropetalum thrives throughout the Sunbelt, and it grows well from zone 7 to zone 10. In colder parts of zone 7 some leaves may fall in winter, so plant it in a sheltered spot there, to protect from winter leaf scorch.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Growing best in sun or partial shade, the Purple Diamond Loropetalum will grow in light full shade as well, but not in deep shade. In the hottest zones some afternoon shade is welcome. This plant grows in a wide range of soils, as long as they are well-drained. Alkaline soils are not so desirable, and the best growth is in rich, moist soils. Add organic material when planting, and as mulch in spring. Once established this plant is drought tolerant and very, very easy to grow in almost all gardens.

Maintenance and Pruning

Some fertilizer in spring will maximize growth rates, but otherwise almost no care is needed. It is untroubled by pests or diseases, and deer usually leave it alone. It can be trimmed in spring, after flowering, but again, this is not essential.

History and Origin of Purple Diamond® Loropetalum

The Chinese fringe flower, Loropetalum chinense, comes, as you probably guessed, from China, and also from Japan and other south-east Asian countries. The common form found growing wild in woodlands has green leaves, and white flowers, but a rare form has been known for some time in China. Known as ‘variety rubrum’, these plants have red spring leaves, turning green in summer and then red again in fall, with pink flowers. The variety called ‘Shang-hi’ was discovered in 2003 by Thomas Meadows, Jr. and James Berry. They had sown a large number of seeds of the rubrum variety at the wholesale nursery of Plant Development Services Inc., in Loxley, Alabama a few years earlier, and now they were examining them to select new and interesting forms. One stood out for its rich flower color and upright form, but especially for the rich purple of its summer and winter leaves. After more trials and testing they named it ‘Shang-hi’ and patented it in 2007. Today it is sold as Purple Diamond®, part of the Southern Living Plant Collection, a joint venture between Plant Development Services and the publishers of Southern Living.

Buying Purple Diamond® Loropetalum at The Tree Center

Take advantage of the perfect scale of the Purple Diamond Loropetalum to grow sturdy specimens in your garden that are as beautiful as a plant can be. Don’t make the mistake of waiting, because these plants are leaving our farm faster than we can ship them in.

Growing Purple Daydream® Loropetalum

Size and Appearance

The Purple Daydream Loropetalum is a broad, low shrub, with naturally-dense branching, forming an attractive mound of foliage all year round. It grows only 2 or 3 feet tall, with a spread of up to 4 feet, and it has a natural rounded form without needing trimming. The oval leaves are just over an inch long, somewhat like the leaves of an evergreen azalea, with a covering of short, soft hairs. New leaves are a rich burgundy red, turning to a more purple-red as they mature. Unlike older varieties, the leaf color is retained all through summer and winter, so this bush is always an effective color accent.

Blooming begins in April, with a big display, and sporadic flowers are formed all through summer and fall, ending only with the first frost in your area. The small flowers are carried in clusters of about 8 blooms, on short stems that grow from the branches where each leaf is attached. The flower has 4 strap-shaped petals, which are twisted as well, giving an exotic and attractive look to this bush. The color is rich and bold – a deep, glowing red-pink, and a plant really is an incredible daydream in red and purple. Insignificant seed pods may develop after the petals fall.

Using Purple Daydream® Loropetalum in Your Garden

For smaller spaces this plant carries more color-punch than any other plant will do. Plant it in the foreground of larger beds, among flowering shrubs or evergreens. Use it as an accent or specimen, or plant it in groups to cover larger areas. It looks great blended with plants that are silver or blue, as well as with other pinks and purples, and also with cool, acidic yellows. It fits into structured gardens as well as informal ones, and it can be grown with azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias in an open woodland setting.

Hardiness

Anywhere from zone 7 to zones 9 and 10 are perfect for the Purple Daydream Loropetalum, which thrives in warmth, including hot and humid conditions. In colder parts of zone 7 there could be some leaf damage in winter, but new shoots soon fill in and restore the beauty of this plant.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

The Purple Daydream Loropetalum grows in a wide range of light conditions. It grows in full sun, partial shade and even in light full shade, such as beneath an open tree canopy. In the hottest zones some afternoon shade is beneficial but avoid dark shade such as areas beneath large evergreens. This bush is very resilient and grows well in almost all soils, as long as they are well-drained. The best growth and blooming is seen in richer, moist soils, so adding organic material when planting, and as mulch every spring, will make a big difference. However, established plants are drought resistant, and this is an easy plant to grow in any garden.

Maintenance and Pruning

Pests or diseases are almost never problems with this easy-care plant. Some shortening of new growth in summer will keep it extra compact and bushy, but it naturally forms a rounded bush, and detailed care is not needed.

History and Origin of Purple Daydream® Loropetalum

You could find the Chinese fringe flower, Loropetalum chinense, growing in open woodlands across Japan and China, but most of them will have green leaves and white or yellowish flowers. That form has been grown in gardens for years, but mostly by collectors and botanists. It was grown in the USA at least from the 1930s. In China they have known about a form with red spring leaves and pink flowers, called ‘variety rubrum’, for a long time. We can thank the collector and breeder Mark Griffin for bringing some of the earliest forms out of China, and since then these red-leaf forms have become hugely popular. In 2008 Joshua Kardos sowed some seeds from a variety produced by Griffin called Little Rose Dawn (‘GriffCLR’). Kardos was at that time part of the firm Plant Introductions, innovators and breeders directed by Dr. Michael Dirr, a renowned plant authority from the University of Georgia, who had also worked with Mark Griffin. Kardos studied the seedlings he produced from those seeds, and among them he found several valuable new varieties. The one he patented in 2015 with the name`PIILC-III` has unusually dark flower coloring and purple-toned leaves. This is the plant we know today as Purple Daydream®, a name owned by Plant Development Services Inc. a wholesale grower in Alabama.

Buying Purple Daydream® Loropetalum at The Tree Center

We love the rich coloring of the Purple Daydream Loropetalum, and we know you will too. The way that these shrubs have taken off with gardeners is remarkable, so our stock is always being sold out very quickly. Order your plants now, because we know they will all be gone very soon.

Growing Crimson Fire Loropetalum

Size and Appearance

The Crimson Fire Loropetalum is a compact shrub, growing no more than 4 feet tall, with a similar spread. Young bark is smooth and reddish, and on older stems it begins to shed in attractive flakes, giving a rugged look to older plants. It has a rounded, bushy form, and it is evergreen. The leaves don’t look like the typical leathery, glossy leaves of evergreens, instead they are small, oval and with a matte surface, covered in very fine hairs. They are 1¼ inches long, and deep red, maturing to a rich reddish-purple, with paler purple undersides. This variety holds its color through summer and fall, then turning to a dark burgundy in winter, before that strong spring-red bounces back.

Flowering begins in April in most areas, with a big spring flush, followed by smaller quantities through summer and right up to the first frost. The flowers are carried in clusters on short stems, all over the bush, and they are small but make a big bang. Only an inch long, they have 4 narrow petals, but the vibrant color – rich bright pink – sets the bush alight. For brilliance and impact there are few in any shrubs that match it, and its easy to see why these relatively-new shrubs have become so popular.

Using Crimson Fire Loropetalum in Your Garden

This stunning compact shrub is perfect to bring color to beds, even in smaller gardens, where other Loropetalum grow too large. Plant it among other shrubs, as a highlight, or against a backdrop of evergreens. Grow it as a stand-alone specimen in a courtyard or gravel area, including Zen and other Asian styles. Grow it as a transition from garden to woodland, since it grows well in shade. It is also a great container shrub in warmer zones – for planter boxes on terraces and even balconies.

Hardiness

The Crimson Fire Loropetalum grows easily in zones 7 to 10. It is often not recommended for hot humid areas, but we have had reports of it growing well in southern Florida, and it grows well in the north-west too. In zone 7 some Loropetalum can suffer winter damage to foliage and branches, but Crimson Fire is much more cold resistant, and an excellent choice for colder zones.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Remarkably adaptable to light conditions, this plant thrives in full sun or partial shade. In drier soils in hot zones some afternoon shade is beneficial. It will also grow in full shade, although if it is too dark the leaves will not be as vibrant, and flowering may be reduced. It prefers moist, well-drained rich soils, but it is incredibly accepting of almost all garden soils, except for very wet ones. Once established it has good drought resistance too.

Maintenance and Pruning

Free of pests or diseases, the Crimson Fire Loropetalum needs very little attention. It doesn’t need pruning, but you can prune after blooming to keep it neater and more compact. Some Loropetalum have the habit of sending out long thin stems, but not this one, so trimming becomes even less important.

History and Origin of Crimson Fire Loropetalum

The Chinese fringe flower, Loropetalum chinense, grows naturally in woodlands all across China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Plants are typically shrubs about 10 feet tall, and they have green leaves and white flowers. It has been grown in America since the 1930s, without attracting much attention. However, there is a rare form called ‘variety rubrum’, which has reddish leaves in spring and pink flowers. The plant breeder and nurseryman Mark Griffin is responsible for some of the earliest forms seen in America, and in 2006 he patented a smaller bush called Little Rose Dawn (`GriffCRL`), derived from an earlier variety called ‘Ruby’. Little Rose Dawn has greenish leaves in summer, but it was only about 6 feet tall. Griffin was associated with Plant Introductions, an innovative company headed by the plant expert Dr. Michael A. Dirr, and in 2008 another member of Dirr’s team, Joshua Kardos, sowed some seed he had collected from a plant of Little Rose Dawn. Among the seedlings was one that had durable red foliage all summer, combined with a dense, vigorous growth pattern and compact size. In 2015 he patented it with the name `PIILC-I`. It is released to gardeners by First Editions with the trademark name of Crimson Fire.

Buying Crimson Fire Loropetalum at The Tree Center

This is certainly the best of the smaller Loropetalum, and Crimson Fire really does set even the smallest garden ablaze. The persistence of the red foliage over summer is remarkable, so it’s no wonder the demand for this beauty is so great. Order now – even if you already have another Loropetalum, this one is totally worthwhile, but do it now, as our supply is limited and they will all soon be gone.

Growing the Jazz Hands® Dwarf Pink Loropetalum

Size and Appearance

The Jazz Hands Dwarf Pink Loropetalum is a small, spreading shrub, reaching between 1 and 3 feet tall, with a similar spread. It is usually wider than tall. The branches are slender and grow in elegant, angular directions, creating an ‘oriental’ style to the plant.

The foliage is evergreen in warmer zones, and deciduous in colder ones. The leaves are softly hairy when they first emerge in spring, turning smooth by summer. They are oval, between 1 and 2 inches long, with smooth edges and noticeable veins. Their coloring is extraordinary – a bright purple-red in spring, turning very dark purple for the summer, and then, in cooler areas, turning brilliant red and orange in fall. In warmer zones the leaves may color a little, but tend to remain purple all winter, falling only in summer, after the new growth has developed fully.

Flowers appear in spring, after the first new leaves, and they are in clusters of 5, all along the branches. A mature plant will be covered in several hundred blooms, making a fantastic display. The flowers are unique, with 4 slender petals, about 1-inch long, strap-like and slightly twisted, making the ‘fingers’ of the jazz musician they so much evoke. They are colored a rich, bright, almost fluorescent pink, and the contrast against the purple-red foliage is amazing. Flowering lasts a full month – plenty of time to soak up the beauty of this gorgeous and remarkable plant.

Using the Jazz Hands® Dwarf Pink Loropetalum in Your Garden

This superb plant looks good anywhere in your garden, mixed with other shrubs or as a single specimen. It is perfect for courtyards and Asian-style gardens, or for planting in front of evergreens, where it will really glow. It also fits well into woodland settings, like a remarkable box of jewels stumbled upon in the woods. It is a perfect choice for a planter box or pot, where it will be raised off the ground and make a very prominent specimen even while young.

Hardiness

The Jazz Hands Dwarf Pink Loropetalum is hardy from zone 7 to zone 9, and in zone 10 in California, but not in the humidity of southern Florida. In zone 7 it is normally fully deciduous.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

The Jazz Hands Dwarf Pink Loropetalum is remarkable for its ability to grow in both full sun and light full shade. This makes it very easy to place in your garden, so put it wherever you think it will look best. The leaf colors will be stronger in the sun, and may turn greenish in summer in full shade, but the plant will still thrive. Don’t plant it in heavy shade, such as beneath large evergreen trees. It prefers to grow in moist, rich, well-drained acidic soil, but it is very adaptable, and it grows well in almost all richer garden soils. Unless your soil is very alkaline, go ahead, your bush should be just fine. In containers use potting soils blended for acid-loving plants. Once established it is remarkably drought resistant, although it prefers even moisture throughout the seasons.

Maintenance and Pruning

No fancy care is needed, and even pruning is optional. If you want to do a little shaping of your bush, prune immediately after flowering, but this plant is perhaps best left to develop its own natural form. Pests and diseases are normally not a problem. Some fall mulch will protect the roots, especially in zone 7, and conserve moisture during summer as well.

History and Origin of the Jazz Hands® Dwarf Pink Loropetalum

The Ever Red Loropetalum is a form of the Chinese fringe flower, Loropetalum chinense. That tree grows naturally in open woodlands in China, Japan, and other parts of south-east Asia, and it can be 10 feet tall and wide. There are two distinct forms of this plant. One has white to pale-yellow flowers, and green leaves. The other, called ‘variety rubrum’, has pink flowers and reddish leaves. Although relatively new in America, these plants have been grown in China and Japan for a long time, and it is there that most new forms are being created.

Yuji Suzuki, who lives in Kawaguchi, Japan, is one of the most prolific and talented of those breeders. He has created several new varieties of Loropetalum, but his ‘`KURENAI` is certainly one of the very best. He found it as a seedling among a group grown from a cross between a variety called `Kurohikari` and one of his own plants, named `8-21`. This vigorous plant was patented in the US by Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. of Grand Haven, Michigan, and marketed as Dwarf Pink in their Jazz Hands® collection of Loropetalum varieties.

Buying the Jazz Hands® Dwarf Pink Loropetalum at The Tree Center

Undoubtedly one of the very best dwarf Loropetalum you can grow, this vigorous shrub with contrasting foliage and flowers is a real winner – and so versatile. Don’t hesitate to try something new – these plants are not difficult, despite their exotic appearance. Order now, while we have stock.

The Ever Red Loropetalum is an evergreen shrub that grows in time to 5 or 6 feet tall, and about the same spread. It has attractive smooth red-brown bark on the branches, which have an elegant twisted look, while older stems have more rugged, peeling bark. The leaves are roundish ovals, 1 to 2½ inches long, and almost as wide. They are colored a bright burgundy, in a very rich and striking tone, and they hold this color all through summer, in contrast to some superficially-similar forms of this tree, which have red leaves in spring, but turn greenish in summer, making them much less effective in your garden. 

Growing Ever Red Loropetalum

In late winter or spring the Ever Red Loropetalum blooms profusely, and the unique blossoms are carried in clusters at the ends of the branches and in the junctions between stem and leaf. Each flower has four narrow petals, but the flowers are so densely-clustered the effect if fluffy, or spider-like, and the blooms really stand out, although each one is only an inch long. The petals of this variety are pure bright red, lighter and brighter than the leaves, but a perfect color complement. A plant in bloom will take your breath away. The flowering season is a full month long, so it is a very worthwhile period. 

Because it is so easy to grow, you can plant the Ever Red Loropetalum almost anywhere in your garden. It looks effective among dark-green evergreens around your home, and just as effective in a woodland area beneath trees, with camellias and azaleas. It fits perfectly into an Asian garden, but also into a more formal, clipped one. It can even be planted in large planters or boxes, where it will thrive for years.

The Ever Red Loropetalum is remarkably adaptable and easy to grow shrub. It is hardy in zones 7 to 9, and in zone 10 in southern California – it does not enjoy the humidity of southern Florida. It grows just as well in shade as in full sun, and even in deeper shade, although there the leaves will not be so richly colored. Some afternoon shade is appreciated, especially in zones 9 and 10. Once it has had a year to become established it is also very drought-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about care – just let it take care of itself. The ideal soil is moist, rich and well-drained, but again, this adaptable plant will grow in ordinary garden conditions perfectly. It has no pests or diseases, and it doesn’t need pruning, although, equally, it responds well to pruning, developing a denser, bushy habit if you want it to.

History and Origins of Ever Red Loropetalum

The Ever Red Loropetalum is a special form of the Chinese fringe flower, Loropetalum chinense.  It grows naturally in open woodlands in China, Japan, and other parts of south-east Asia. Wild plants can be up to 10 feet tall and across. There are two distinct forms of this plant. One has white to pale-yellow flowers, and normal green leaves. The other, called ‘variety rubrum’, has pink flowers and reddish leaves. There are several garden varieties of both forms, but it is the ones with red leaves that attract the most attention. The plant breeder and collector Mark Griffin is an associate of the famous tree and shrub expert Dr. Michael A. Dirr. Together they developed a company called Plant Introductions to breed or find new plants for American gardens. Mark Griffith found a remarkable form of red loropetalum in China, called ‘Chang Nian Hong’. When he brought it to America is was re-named and trademarked Ever Red®. It has been released to gardeners by Gardeners Confidence, a company marketing plants from numerous independent breeders and collectors. It is part of their Glowing Horizons® Loropetalum series, which features other new Loropetalum varieties.

These red-leaf Loropetalum varieties are incredibly popular, and experts all agree that the variety Ever Red® is definitely the most durable, with bright foliage that holds its color better than any other form. This plant is very popular with our clients, and our beautiful stock will soon go (we will miss them. . .), so order now while we can still fulfil your order.