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Loropetalum chinensis, Fringe Bush

This is a fairly new plant to Florida and is commonly used as a shrub. However, it trains up nicely as a small flowering tree. Fringebush prefers an acid soil and a mostly sunny position in the landscape. Its small size makes it well suited for planting in back of a shrub border or for use as a small tree near the patio. Limb the tree up to make a small tree. Mass several together to make a dramatic statement and a nice, delicate flower show. It can be trained into a nice espalier. This is becoming a popular plant used for many landscapes situations. There are green leafed with white flowers cultivars; and there are red leafed with red, white or pink flowers cultivars (var. rubrum).

• 'Snow Muffin' grows to about 2 feet tall
• 'Zhuzhou Fuchsia' may survive to -10 degrees; var rubrum is hardy to about 0 degrees and has given rise to many cultivars.
• 'Plum Delight' might be the best one for the hot southeastern US.
• var. rubrum 'Bicolor' blooms earlier than others (January) with large white flowers with green to bronze-green foliage
• var. rubrum 'Blush' blooms early to mid-season (Jan-Feb) with hot pink flowers with medium-green to burgundy foliage
• var. rubrum 'Burgundy' blooms mid-season with medium-sized pink flowers with black-green to medium burgundy foliage and may grow slightly wider than tall
• var. rubrum 'Daybreak's Flame' begins bloom later than the others (late Feb) with many hot pink flowers
• var. rubrum 'Pipa's Red' blooms late with large pink flowers with black-purple to black burgundy foliage and may grow taller than wide
• var. rubrum 'Plum Delight' blooms mid-season (February) with large dark pink flowers with black-purple to deep burgundy foliage and grows about as tall as wide
• var. rubrum 'Razzleberri' begins bloom late (late Feb) with medium pink flowers and grows fast and large
• var. rubrum 'Ruby' blooms mid-season with medium hot pink flowers with dark-green to burgundy foliage growing fast and large
• var. rubrum 'Sizzlin Pink' blooms early- to mid-season with medium pink flowers with black-purple to burgungy dark green foliage
• var. rubrum 'Suzanne' blooms mid-season with medium pink flowers with dark black-green to bronze or burgundy foliage
• var. rubrum 'Zhuzhou Fuchsia' blooms early- to mid-season with hot pink flowers with black-purple to deep purple foliage, 'Zhuzhou Fuchsia' may survive to -10 degrees
  

Others listed include:

• 'Compacta' is slower growing than the rest with medium to dark green foliage and small white flowers
• 'Hillier Compact' has small white flowers
• 'Snow Dance' blooms later than the rest and has green foliage, small white flowers and grows wider than tall
• 'Snow Muffin' grows to about 2 feet tall
• 'Plum Delight' might be the best one for the hot southeastern US.

The following observations are offered by Dr. Mike Dirr, University of Georgia, who has grown many of these: Pizzazz, Plum Delight, Hines Purpleleaf, and Hines Burgundy are the same; Blush, Razzleberri, Daybreak's Flame are the same; Zhuzhou Fuchsia and Pipa's Red are the same.