Photinia - Photinia × fraseriEvery spring, Photinia does something that's become one of the more reliable garden pleasures - the new leaves come through in vivid, fire-engine red. Not for a day or two, but for several weeks, before gradually maturing to a rich, dark green that's equally good-looking for the rest of the year. It's fully evergreen, fast-growing, and one of the most popular plants in the UK for good reason. A hybrid first discovered as a seedling in a nursery in Alabama in the 1940s, Photinia has been widely grown in UK gardens for decades. It tolerates most soils, grows in sun or partial shade, and responds well to pruning - which conveniently also triggers new flushes of red growth. Fully hardy across the UK. Grow in well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Prune in early spring to shape and encourage new red growth - pruning again in June after flowering will often produce a second flush. Water well while establishing. Feed with a balanced fertiliser through spring and summer. Decorative pot not included.
