Photinia how tall

Unfortunately, the flowers have an unpleasant odor, so most gardeners prefer to prune the shrub's stems before they flower. If the flowers are left to bloom, they give way to small red pome fruit that can remain through winter and into the following spring.

The key to successfully growing these shrubs is to provide them with a spot that has good air circulation and well-drained soil. Soggy conditions can promote disease that can be deadly to the plant. There must still be space for air to move through the leaves between each plant.

Pruning will be one of your main tasks to care for your red tip photinia. Plus, if you wish, you also can prune throughout the season to encourage new growth of the young red leaves. Besides pruning, plan to water when the soil gets dry and fertilize if your soil lacks nutrients. Red tip photinia has a broad tolerance for sunlight exposure. It can even tolerate full shade, though this will limit flowering. In hot climates, this shrub does best when it gets partial shade—especially protection from the hot afternoon sun.

It is best planted in north- or east-facing locations. In cooler climates, it prefers full sun. Red tip photinia prefers loamy, well-drained soil in a planting site that has good air movement. Water the plant once a week at its base during dry periods, and avoid getting the leaves wet.

Once established, red tip photinia has a good tolerance for short periods of drought. Photinia is a hugely popular shrub, a common site in UK gardens. Photinia is an evergreen plant with leaves that start bright red when young, maturing to a glossy dark green oval shape. The red appearance is most prominent when new growth is coming through in Spring and Summer.

Small, sparse white flowers appear in April — June. Photinia is easy to care for and maintain and can reach a mature height of 7m and a spread of 3m. Trim new shoots to encourage bright red re-growth. Photinia is a popular evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves, white flowers in flattened flowerheads and young red shoots. Photinia grows best in fertile, moist, well-drained soil in sun or partial shade in a sheltered position. The young shoots can become scorched by cold or drying winds and late frosts if grown in an exposed position.

Photinia is tolerant of most soils , even clay as long as it has been improved by incorporating well-rotted compost or manure. Most species will suit either acid or alkaline conditions, but P. Photinias require minimal pruning, but will benefit from the occasional trim in spring and summer to keep the shape of the plant under control.

Avoid trimming after mid-August, since any new growth would be vulnerable to autumn frosts. Follow the advice in the pruning evergreen shrubs profile, but also note the following:. The best method for propagating photinia cultivars, such as those of P. You can also grow species, such as P. Chilling may improve germination. Below are a few popular photinias. RHS Plant Finder. This is considered to be a physiological problem i. The purple-brown spotting on the foliage is typical of a plant under stress.

Recently planted semi-mature specimens are particularly prone, though many photinias are not fully hardy in the UK and any can suffer after cold, wet winters. To avoid this type of damage, plant in a sheltered spot preferably against a wall or fence.

Feeding with a general-purpose fertiliser such as Vitax Q4 or Growmore in spring or early summer should encourage healthy re-growth.

If the ground is heavy, incorporate organic matter to aid with drainage. Pruning is as described above although you may want to prune more frequently to keep the plant to shape and an appropriate size for the container. It does help if the shrub is in a heavy container to avoid it easily being blown over. Where the plant is only partially affected the solution is to remove spotted leaves and burn them as soon as they are noticed.

Where the damage is more severe you have two choices:. We have noticed that it is the shaded side of plants which are most affected. The above photo shows the sun side of a Red Robin which is totally unaffected by leaf spot. The shade side was affected, but only to a minor degree. In all likelihood your Photinia will not be the only shrub affected, although Photinias are particularly susceptible. Often the only course of action is to dig up and burn the affected shrubs and plant those which are resistant to honey fungus.

A stem suitable for cutting. The cutting unprepared. Lower leaves removed. Cuttings in a pot of compost. The cuttings should begin to root in two to three weeks and at this point remove the plastic bag.