Photinia amazes everyone with their bright red leaves.
Photinia key facts:
Name – Photinia x fraseri
Family – Rosaceae
Height – 3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 m)
Exposure: full sun
Soil: ordinary
Foliage: evergreen
Hardiness: 5°F or -15°C, zone 7+ (USA) or H5+ (UK) – Flowering: spring
Planting, pruning and care are steps that help blooming and growth for your Photinia.
Planting Photinia
Photinia loves the sun, and is hardy down to 5°F (-15°C). Note that it also needs a lot of water, especially in summer.
- Photinia loves sunny or very lightly shaded places.
- It adapts to most types of soil, except for chalky soil which it doesn’t like.
- It’s a fast grower.
- Plan ahead: a mature photinia is over 10 feet tall (3 meters). Don’t give it too small a space.
- Int he picture above/right, these are planted closer together for a low hedge.
Planting in fall
It is the best season to plant. Photinia are best planted in fall to promote root development.
In fall, photinia won’t have any red leaves: they’re all green by this time!
The best time is November; however, you can plant as early as September and as late as December. Just make sure not to plant when it freezes.
Planting in spring and summer
Photinia can be planted in spring and even in summer if purchased in pots.
In this case, water often: the shrubs’ needs are higher, and it doesn’t yet have many roots.
- Don’t plant during heat waves.
- Mulch the base of your Photinia.
- This keeps soil moist for much longer.
- Follow our advice on planting shrubs
Photinia hedge
Photinia is great for evergreen hedges. Long-lasting leaves and fast growth rate mean privacy is guaranteed within a few years.
For a more ornamental impact, alternate photinia with other beautiful evergreen shrubs: Abelia, Forsythia, silverberry and the occasional laurel tree.
- For a 6-foot hedge (1.8m), plant each photinia 3 feet (1m) from the next.
- Fast growing photinia is ideal for all types of hedge, even topiary.
Multiplying Photinia
It is possible to propagate Photinia from cuttings in summer.
Collect stems that are 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) long.- Remove lower pairs of leaves. Keep only the topmost one or two pairs.
- It is possible to dip the cuttings in powdered rooting agents.
- Plant them upright in special cutting soil mix.
- Put the Photinia cuttings near light, but not in direct sunlight.
- Keep substrate a little moist.
- Make sure the cuttings won’t freeze in winter.
- Transplant to a slightly larger pot in the following spring.
Photinia varieties
The most famous variety is Photinia ‘Red Robin’. Other varieties are just as beautiful, but harder to find: ‘Red Tip’, ‘Little Red Robin’, ‘Pink Crispy’, ‘Pink Marble’ (last two have variegated leaves)…
Pruning and care for Photinia
Photinia are easy shrubs to care for, especially when well settled in.
Pruning and trimming
Pruning Photinia is recommended twice a year. Once is after spring blooming. After that, prune again after growth in fall so that the shrub can be balanced or its size reduced.
It is also possible to prune ‘Red Robin’ Photinia at the end of winter. Pruning at the end of winter will give you many more red leaves, but you might not get flowers.
Photinia can be shaped as you wish: cones, spheres, columns and other topiary…
- First, thin older branches to trigger growth of new shoots. Also clear the center so that light can reach it.
- The more you prune, the faster it grows.
- Frequent and drastic pruning renews growth and makes fresh red leaves appear.
- Read also: how to prune shrubs
Note: Photinia will grow into a tree if not pruned. It can reach up to 20 feet (6 meters). In this respect, it’s similar to cherry laurel.
Fertilizer: grow a magnificent ‘Red Robin’ Photinia
Adding all-purpose fertilizer in spring will boost growth and make the leafage magnificent.
- Red Robin does great in pots. However, another variety, “Little Red Robin”, will do better: it won’t grow as tall and is more manageable.
- In pots, remember to topdress with ripe compost every year in spring and fall.
- Instead of topdressing, give your shrub a dose of weedy tea every month during the growing phase.
Diseases, pests, and problems with Photinia
Although Photinia is very resilient and won’t often get diseased, sometimes the following may occur.
Photinia not blooming
If you have a photinia not bearing flowers, there are usually two reasons. Sometimes both are at play.
Pruning was performed at the end of winter, before the blooming – in this case, flower buds were cut off. Try to prune and trim your photinia after the blooming in spring. If you need to prune a second time to keep the shrub small and tidy, do it in fall before winter .
- Exposure and lack of sunlight – a photinia shrub that is mostly growing in shade won’t bear many flowers, sometimes to the point of not bearing any at all. If under the shade of a taller tree, try thinning out branches of the tall tree. That way, more light reaches the photinia shrub.
Black spots on photinia leaves
- Photinia is one of the shrubs that may be hit with black spot disease.
- Read more on photinia black spot disease
Photinia leaves curling and blistering
- In rare instances, your Photinia may catch leaf curl.
- Treat leaf curl on Photinia just as you would treat peach leaf curl.
Sudden death and root rot
Photinia is one of the many woody plants that may fall victim to armillaria root rot. If the shrub shows signs of decline (wilting) and dies suddenly the following year, this might be the culprit.
Learn more about Photinia
Photinia is hybridized by man. It’s the result of crossing two different species. Developed by breeders in New Zealand, they came to the West around 25 years ago.
This red-leaved shrub is an ornamental shrub, in beds and in hedges. However, you can also plant it as a standalone.
Abundant leaves quickly make the shrub opaque, which makes it one of the most commonly planted evergreen hedge shrubs.
Its main feature is that its leaves switch colors: deep red for young leaves, then they slowly turn green as they mature.
Landscaping with photinia
This magnificent shrub fits perfectly into any hedge. Try out combinations with many other species: butterfly bush, viburnum, cotinus …
→ Shown here with forsythia.
It’s also very resistant to sea spray and will do great as a coastal garden plant, together with sea orache and silverberry, for instance.
Read also on shrubs
Smart tip about Photinia
Photinia flowers are a great source of nectar and pollen for bees, plant one as a standalone to attract beneficial insects to your garden! Be careful to only prune your photinia after it flowers, in Spring.
Can I transplant photinia from one barrel to another on 5/2/21. How much roots can be removed? What is the best planting soil to use? Thank you!
Hi Rosemary, yes, it’s still OK to transplant your photinia this coming week-end. Up to half of the root system can be removed, which is probably inevitable. But what’s very important is to remember to prune your photinia by at least a third, ideally half. The less roots you remove, the less you have to prune your photinia, this is key for success in transplanting. As for soil, as long as you use fresh planting soil, any brand or type will do. You can even save by mixing in garden soil if you’ve any. Drainage at the bottom of the barrel is important, too, so get your hand on gravel or clay beads or the like.
I have several red robins in my garden in France, some have white flowers and some don’t what is the difference?
Hi Shirley! It’s not a question of male or female shrubs as it happens in holly and yaupon. Normally all photinia shrubs should be able to bear flowers. The two main reasons why they wouldn’t is underexposure (not enough direct sunlight) or premature pruning.
There’s also a tiny chance that there was a mix-up in the varieties, leading to either a “different” red robin strand or to a shrub that’s altogether different, but that’s a remote possibility.