Escallonia, a shrub of great beauty

Escallonia

Escallonia is a shrub that has very beautiful flowers and is thus very ornamental.

Key Escallonia facts

Name – Escallonia
Family – Escalloniaceae
Type – shrub

Height – 3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 m)
Exposure – full sun

Soil: draining  –  Foliage: evergreen  –  Flowering: end spring → mid-summer

The planting, care and pruning greatly impact the flowering and the proper growth of Escallonia shrubs.

Planting escallonia

Best is if you choose to plant your escallonia in fall to favor root development before winter hits, and ensure proper growth in spring.

You can also plant in spring but make sure that the young shrub has sufficient water at the beginning.

  • Escallonia plantingFavor locations that are well-endowed with sun to boost the escallonia’s beautiful blooming.
  • Escallonia loves warmth and will never feel better than when it is sheltered from wind.
  • In a hedge, keep a distance of at least 32 inches (80 cm) between specimens.
  • Refer to our guidelines for planting shrubs.

Pruning and caring for escallonia

White escallonia with a pollinatorA fast grower, escallonia often deserves to be cut back once or twice a year if you hope for it to keep a nice bearing.

Regular pruning will also make foliage even denser, which will increase the blooming.

At the end of winter to re-balance the shape and at the end of summer, after the blooming to prune a bit more severely.

  • Use of long shears is recommended and pruners for the larger branches.
  • In a hedge, you can use a hedge trimmer to prune your escallonia.
  • Read our page on pruning shrubs

Fertilizer and watering escallonia

Escallonia is a shrub for which the adding of fertilizer and water helps favor the growth of the shrub.

  • Adding fertilizer in spring will increase blooming in summer.
  • Watering over the 2 first years after planting is recommended to promote root development.
  • Potted escallonia requires more frequent watering because the soil dries off much faster.

All there is to know about escallonia

Shrubby escallonia bearing lots of flowersNative to Chili and to the Andes mountain range, escallonia provides very beautiful blooming that varies from white to red through pink depending on the variety.

Its small bunches of flowers are a boon to the bees during the entire summer.

It is also much appreciated for its shiny foliage that is evergreen in winter.

Try to choose a spot that is sheltered from wind and rather warm, it will reach its entire potential during summer especially if you provide it with organic fertilizer in spring.

In a flower bed or a hedge, it fits perfectly well in both.

A few appealing varieties of escallonia

Escallonia comes in different sets of flowers and hedges depending on the variety, here are several cultivars that particularly appealed to us:

  • Escallonia rubra macrantha – Its leaves are larger than those of other varieties and its flowers are a bright, luminous pink.
  • Escallonia ‘Apple Blossom’ – It grows a bit less dense and its flowers are a cute pale pink.
  • Different species and cultivars of escalloniaEscallonia iveyi – An escallonia that boasts a nice white-colored blooming.
  • Escallonia ingramii – Fragrant leaves and pinkish red blossoms.
  • Escallonia laevis ‘Gold Brian’ – Its foliage is actually yellowish and its flowers are pink.
  • Escallonia cardinalis – We appreciate its stark pink flowers with a red center, and its shiny green leaves.

See also:

Smart tip about escallonia

For planting, avoid winter freezing at all costs!


Images: adobestock: Sally Wallis, CC BY 2.0: Andrew Fogg, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0: Ian Sutton, CC BY-SA 2.0: 阿橋 HQ, Steve Law