The versatile & brilliant evergreen

A photinia outshines surrounding plants with its brilliant red foliage.

Immature foliage is shiny and a deep red.

Photinias are bold, coarse & bodacious.

Mature foliage is a deep green.

Their pretty white flower clusters are often cut off to promote new red leaves.

A photinia that has not been sheared has a beautiful profile.

Photinias are big shrubs so give them space.

Photinias are sheared often to stimulate new foliage.

Give photinias space to prevent leafspot diseases.

The initial spots on infected leaves coalesce to become big blotches.

​Common Name:  Fraser Photinia, Red Tip Photinia
Botanical Name:  Photinia x fraseri
Form:    upright, round
Family: Rosaceae  
Genus:  Photinia
Hybrid:  x fraseri
Plant Type: broadleaf evergreen shrub
Mature Size:  10-20 ft. x 5-10 ft.
Growth: fast
Origin:  Asia
Hardiness Zone: 7 to 9
Foliage:  alternate, simple, oval to elliptic, 3 -4” long, finely serrated margins, leathery, new foliage is shiny and a deep red, copper, maroon that matures to a dark green
Flowers: fragrant, April, May, white, 1/3”, 6" wide panicles (clusters)
Fruit: showy, red pome (uncommon in certain climates)
Exposure:  full sun for the best colour & flowering
Soil:  prefers well-drained loam, slightly alkaline
Uses:  hedge, screen, accent, specimen, winter interest, borders, woodland
Toxicity: toxic to horses
Attracts: bees, birds
Invasive Tendencies: Texas, USA
Tolerates: alkaline soils, short periods of drought
Propagation:   semi-hardwood cuttings in midsummer
Pruning:  thin in winter, shear after leaves mature to green to promote new red foliage
Problems:  leaf spot disease (Entomosporium maculatum)
 
Comments: 
Fraser photinias are bold looking plants that are known for their shiny deep red new foliage.  This large evergreen shrub is often used as a hedge or screen to provide privacy and to delineate property lines and garden beds. Photinias are also quite versatile as they make a striking tree when trained to one single trunk.
 
Although they are grown for their brilliant red foliage, they also bear clusters of pretty white flowers in late April to May. Although they are fragrant, some find their aroma unpleasant. 
 
Care
Photinias need good air circulation and must not be overcrowded as the lack of air flow encourages the debilitating leaf spot disease, Entomosporium maculatum. This fungus defoliates plants leaving sparse, pitiful specimens in its wake. Symptoms first appear as tiny, round bright red spots on the upper and lower leaf surfaces. As the disease progresses the small spots merge into maroon blotches. Leaf spots on mature foliage have light brown to grew centres with red borders. As the disease progresses, the infected foliage drops from the plant resulting in a sparse and sad loving plant.
 
To promote healthy plants and dissuade leaf spot, plant in full sun. They tolerate shade but bear fewer flowers and they are more susceptible to leaf spot diseases. In hot climates, protect plants from strong afternoon sun.
 
To further prevent disease, locate in areas where air circulates freely. When used as hedging, space them 5 to 8 feet apart. Rake up fallen foliage from the ground, then mulch with 3 inches of an organic mulch to prevent the spread of fungi.
 
Soil: Plant photinias in a loamy soil that drains well as soggy soil promotes root rot and leaf spot disease.  Amend heavy clay soils with 50% compost to improve drainage. Photinias are one of a few plants that grow well in slightly alkaline soils with a pH of 6.5 to7.5.
 
Pruning: Thin photinias in winter to promote light inside the plant and to allow air to flow freely. To promote their spectacular red foliage, prune or shear in spring after the leaves turn green. If you want them to flower, prune them after flowering. Sadly, photinias are often pruned just before they flower, which unfortunately eliminates their blossoms for the sake of their stunning red leaves.
 
Cultivars:
‘Red Robin’ – 9’-12’, resistant to leaf spot diseases
‘Little Red Robin’ – 2’-3’, resistant to leaf spot diseases
‘Pink Marble’ – 7’-14’ x 6’-10’, pink new foliage with white variegated margins

A photinia hedge.

Initial leafspot disease symptoms.

Leafspot disease affects the upper and lower part of the foliage.