Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin' Bush
Origin: New Zealand. Upright shrub later becoming rounded, with many, dense branches. Leaves: evergreen, alternate, fairly leathery, from obovate to oval-elongate, 8-12cm long, 4-6cm wide, toothed, borne on stalks (red when young), 2cm long. The leaves on the new growth (very precocious) are ruby red and so vibrant that they look as though they have been painted. From late spring until the end of summer the leaves gradually turn green, but splashes of new red leaves brighten up the plant, and they then become scarlet again in autumn. Flowers: in May, small, white, slightly tinged with pink, grouped in a large inflorescence whichovershadows the leaves. They are not among Nature’s most attractive but they are eyecatching. Fruit (only depending on the pruning): from the end of summer to the end of autumn, round, 0.50cm wide, red and then black. Cultivation: adapts to all types of soil but gives the best results in fairly cool, not too dry, loose soil and will also tolerate fairly calcareous soil. Withstands all pruning and can be formed into beautiful, compact hedges with no gaps at the bottom. It is certainly one of the plants that adapts well to being grown in pots of any size.
