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| Photo Credit: Gerald Klingaman |
| The pink-flowering Chinese fringe flower soared in popularity in American gardens almost as soon as it was introduced to the market. | If it’s new, it’s gotta be good. Right? Seasoned gardeners know that’s not always the case, but when the pink-flowering Chinese fringe flower Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum; also horticulturally listed as Chinese fringeflower) hit the market, it was all the rage. This shrub went from relative obscurity to being widely available in less than five years’ time – a short span for a new introduction! What made this broadleaf evergreen so special? Its good looks certainly helped. But the fact the nursery trade really backed this plant really encouraged gardeners to buy it up.
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| Photo Credit: Gerald Klingaman |
| Loropetalum can grow up to 12 feet tall, so plant the shrub where it’s got some room to grow, or you’ll be spending a lot of time shearing it. | A member of the witchhazel family, the plant’s typical white-flowering form, Loropetalum chinense, is a large, mounded evergreen shrub reaching10-12 feet tall. Clusters of white flowers with narrow, strap-shaped petals appear at the end of branches typically in March. While hardy to USDA hardiness Zone 7, the shrub becomes deciduous in the northern part of its range. (In fact, it freezes back at around 5 degrees F.) While the species is quite lovely, the excitement for Chinese fringe flower wasn’t over the white form of the plant, but the similar pink-flowered form with maroon leaves that more recently arrived on American shores. By the early 1990s, several arboretums had obtained pink-flowering varieties. By 1993, the US National Arboretum in Washington, DC, decided to name the plants they introduced ‘Blush’ and ‘Burgundy’), and it released them to the nursery trade.
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| Facts |
- Dr. John Creech, the retired director of the US National Arboretum and one-time USDA Agricultural Research Service plant explorer, was one of the first people to bring a pink-flowered, purple-leaved fringe flower back to the US. In 1989, he brought two plants from Nihonkaki Nursery in Kawaguchi City, Japan – both with pink flowers and maroon foliage. The plants Dr. Creech obtained were passed on to the National Arboretum in Washington, DC, where cuttings were taken and young plants distributed to The Arnold Arboretum in Boston.
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| Tips |
- Chinese fringe flower responds well to yearly shearing, much like forsythia. After it’s finished blooming, cut the shrub back as severely as needed to maintain size. (Don’t be afraid pruning will hurt the plant because it won’t.) After this severe pruning in the spring, only remove the occasional errant shoot that outgrows the rest of the shrub. This annual shearing will help you maintain a reasonable size and good flowering.
Read More... - Loropetalum is a large shrub, so plant it where it will have room to grow so you don’t find yourself constantly pruning it back.
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| Resources |
- Visit the Learn2Grow Plant Database to learn more about Loropetalum chinense – the white-blooming Chinese fringe flower.
- The Learn2Grow Plant Database also has more info on the purple-leaved variety.
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