Hedging Plants – Photinia Fraseri

Name – The Photinia is commonly known as the Christmas Berry.

Description and uses – this genus of Asian and North American shrubs, includes a group of evergreen hybrids which grown specifically for their colourful young foliage - new growth often appears (in the more recent cultivars at least) as bright red, turns to bronze by late spring, and then to green. It also bears clusters of small white flowers in spring. Photinia copes with any reasonable soil but not one that is extremely alkaline. You will need to rrotect plants from severe cold during their early winters and because the new growth is sometimes caught by late spring frosts, some shelter is advisable.

Maintenance and problems – Photinia is grown for the spectacular new red foliage and pruning throughout the year helps to encourage this growth. Cut back quite hard after the foliage has faded to a dull bronze to ensure a further 'crop' of new growth. If you have inherited a photinia that doesn’t show much spring colour, the plant is an excellent candidate for rejuvenation pruning, which means cutting the plants all the way back to the ground – leaving six to eight inch stumps at the most. Perform this drastic prune in spring and don’t fertilise that year. For a standard hedge of five to eight feet tall, trim when the growth fades. There is a tendency to fungal leaf spot infection where red to purple spots appear on the leaves. This infection is likely to be most severe on plants in low-lying or shady areas, so try to plant in full sun and allow good air circulation. If affected, avoid overhead watering and cleanup any dropped leaves. In early spring use fungicide applications to keep the disease under control.

Hedging photinia photograph by ndrwfgg, used under a creative commons attribution licence

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