Photinia flower care. Photinia Fraser "Little Red Robin" (Photinia xfraseri 'Little Red Robin') is an evergreen hybrid, a dwarf form of the Red Robin shrub. Care and agricultural technology
Photinia Fraser "Little Red Robin" (Photinia xfraseri " little red Robin") - an evergreen hybrid, dwarf form Shrub "Red Robin". Appearance compact. First upright, then rounded, with numerous densely planted branches. The leaves are small, evergreen, alternate, rather rigid, almost round to oval, serrated, petiolate. New leaves are ruby red, shiny, with late spring until the end of the summer, they gradually turn into green color. In autumn they turn scarlet again. Flowers appear in May, small, white, with a barely visible pink tint, united in the widest inflorescences, rise above the foliage. Fruits from the end of summer, round, red, then black. Prefers to grow in full sun, tolerates partial shade. It is not demanding on the soil, but best result gives in cool, loose soil, tolerates moderate and calcareous. Watering requires moderate. Handles pruning well. Frost resistance zone 6A. Shelter is required for the winter. Photinia (Photinia) grows well in warm places with fertile permeable soil. When creating suitable conditions for growth, the plant does not require additional care. Thanks to the beautiful natural form, abundant flowering and beautiful fruits Photinia (Photinia) can be used for solitary plantings. Photinia (Photinia) is good in mixed hedges in combination with others flowering shrubs. Looks great in container plantings. Planting and care: Photinia (Photinia) prefers to grow in the sun or in partial shade, the soil must be nutritious, permeable, the distance between plants is 1.5 - 2.5 m. Height 3-5 m. Planting time: spring and autumn. Dig up landing pit twice the clod of earth on the roots of the seedling. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the planting hole. Mix the dug up earth with several shovels of compost. Water the seedling well. Place it in the landing hole. Untie the fabric containing earthen clod seedling. Fill the planting hole with a mixture of earth and compost, tamp the surface. Try not to damage the roots of the seedling. Form a watering circle from the earth. Water the planted plants well. Water the plants regularly during dry periods. Mulch the area near the trunk with compost. In the fall, mulch the ground with compost or chopped leaves. Evergreen species need winter protection. Reproduction: Seeds, layering, grafting. When spring sowing, the seeds are stratified for 2-3 months. at low temperatures. Before sowing, seeds covered with a hard shell are ground with coarse sand, i.e., scarification is carried out. Cuttings are bad. In July-August, semi-lignified cuttings are cut, and at the end of October - woody cuttings, which are rooted in the spring. Layers are made in autumn. It is possible to graft on hawthorn and chokeberry.
American botanists believe that photinia - close relative widespread in Russia Michurin's chokeberry, which is known as chokeberry. They even combine these plants into common gender. Who knows, maybe after some time we will also call the “chokeberry” photinia.
Description: There are about 40 species in the genus, distributed in Southeast Asia.
Trees and shrubs, both deciduous and evergreen, with oblong, entire leaves. The flowers are white, small, typical of rosaceae: five splayed petals and a bunch of stamens. They are collected in complex corymbose inflorescences or small bunches. The fruit is like a mountain ash - a small red apple. Evergreen species with orange-red fruits are very spectacular - Davidson's photinia, serrate photinia, etc., which are planted in the parks of the Crimea and the Caucasus and imported into central Russia. But, unfortunately, these species are so thermophilic that they can hardly withstand a temperature drop to -12 ° C, after which they freeze out. Only two species have established themselves as winter-hardy plants that may be of interest to domestic gardeners with their decorative qualities.
| Photinia woolly- Photinia villosa (Thunb.) DC.
Comes from Southeast Asia A beautiful upright shrub up to 1.5 m high. It is distinguished by a dense leafy crown, descending to the base of the bush. Shiny oblong leaves look strictly and neatly. Flowering lasts almost the entire June. White flowers are slightly more than 1 cm in diameter, collected in pubescent corymbs with a diameter of up to 5 cm. The "starry time" for a shrub comes in autumn: at the end of September, brilliant fiery-red apple fruits ripen, and a little later, in October, the leaves turn bright - raspberry and golden tones. The most winter-hardy of photinia, however, young shoots can also freeze slightly. Photinia villosa DC. kept in a potted arboretum of the botanical garden of St. Petersburg from 1902 to 1938. In 1992-1997 tested in open field. Dropped out of the collection, probably due to low winter hardiness. In GBS since 1950, 3 samples (5 copies) were grown from seeds obtained from Edinburgh, Warsaw and of unknown origin. At 42, height 1.6 m, crown diameter 180 cm plant grows from late April to October. The growth rate is low. Blooms in May-June. Fruits in 5 years, the fruits ripen in October. The cuttings take root weakly. Winter hardiness is below average. |
| Photinia small-flowered- Photinia parviflora (Pritz.) C.K. Schneid.
East Asia. The shrub is similar to the previous species, but smaller (no more than 1 m). The inflorescences consist of several flowers, but the flowers, contrary to the name of the species, are larger - up to 1.5 cm in diameter. The shrub is decorative in autumn, when the red fruits ripen and the color of the leaves changes. May winter under snow or require shelter. Less winter-hardy than f. woolly. It has been widespread in culture abroad since the beginning of the 20th century, but is little known in central Russia. In GBS since 1962, 1 sample (3 copies) was grown from seeds obtained from Cincinnati (USA). At 30 years old, height 1.5 m, crown diameter 140 cm plant grows from early May to October. The growth rate is low. Blooms in June. The fruits ripen in September. Winter hardiness is low. 3% of cuttings take root when treated with phyton. |
Photinia naked- Ph. glabra (Thunb.) Maxim. Japan. Evergreen shrub up to 3 m tall with shiny light green leaves 5-8 cm long. In culture, it is rare in the parks of Sukhumi and Batumi. Suitable for the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Photinia davidiana
Photinia Davidson- Ph. Davidsoniae rehd. and Wils. China. Evergreen tree up to 15 m tall with a dense pointed crown, oblong leathery shiny leaves 10-12 cm long, spherical fruits up to 1 cm in diameter. One of the most beautiful trees China, has long been cultivated in gardens, parks, cemeteries and sacred places. In culture in Russia, it is single in Adler. Withstands frosts down to -11°. Grows pretty fast. Suitable for the warmest regions of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Photinia serrated, Chinese- Ph. serrulata Lindl. China. Evergreen tree up to 12 m tall, with twisted trunks, often a shrub. In culture in the Crimea, on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Deserves a test in Transcarpathia. |
Location: Photinia grows well in partial shade and full sun.
The soil: the usual garden is suitable, but what the plant does not tolerate is an excess of lime.
Photinia glabra "Rubens"
Photograph by Kirill Tkachenko
Care: can do without watering, at least in the shade, watered only in hot and dry periods. These species have high winter hardiness, only sometimes annual shoots freeze slightly. In such years, they resort to sanitary pruning, which does not weaken the development of the shrub, as it grows quickly.
Reproduction: seeds, layering, grafting. When spring sowing, the seeds are stratified for 2-3 months. at low temperatures. Before sowing, seeds covered with a hard shell are ground with coarse sand, i.e., scarification is carried out. Cuttings are bad. In July-August, semi-lignified cuttings are cut, and at the end of October - woody cuttings, which are rooted in the spring. Layers are made in autumn. It is possible to graft on hawthorn and chokeberry.
Usage: Photinia are most decorative in autumn, with bright foliage and abundant fruits. Can be planted in groups with other shrubs.
Photinia (lat. Photinia)- a genus of shrubs and trees of the family Rosaceae, or Pink. In nature, photinia is found in East and South Asia, as well as in North America. The name of the culture comes from Greek word"hotinus", which translates as "brilliant" and indicates a brilliant glossy surface leaves. All there are about 40 species. American botanists claim that photinia is a close relative of Michurin's chokeberry, which is known among gardeners and gardeners as chokeberry.
Characteristics of culture
Photinia - evergreen or deciduous shrub or a tree up to 5 m high. The leaves are elongated, entire, alternate, short-petiolate, glossy, the edges are finely serrate, the venation is pinnate, equipped with stipules.
The flowers are small, actinomorphic, white in color, with a double perianth, collected in complex corymbose or simple fascicular inflorescences, located at the ends of the branches. The calyx is tubular, with five short lobes, growing together with a strongly concave receptacle in the lower part.
The fruit is apple-shaped, small, rounded, red or orange red, up to 4-6 mm in diameter, contains 1-4 seeds. Photinia blooms in April-May, comes into fruiting - in June. Photinia is thermophilic, withstands frosts down to -12C, at lower temperatures it freezes completely. Among Photinia, only two species have proven themselves to be winter-hardy.
Growing conditions
Photinia accepts both open sunny and semi-shaded areas. To soil conditions the culture is not demanding, the usual one is suitable for its cultivation garden soil. Does not tolerate calcareous and saline soils, as well as low-lying areas with stagnation melt water and cold air.
Reproduction and planting
Photinia is propagated by seeds, layering, cuttings and grafting. Seeds are sown in autumn under cover in the form of a thick layer of peat, or in spring with preliminary stratification of seeds within 2-3 months. Stratify the seeds low temperatures, they are mixed with coarse-grained wet sand and stored in a cool room (in a cellar, for example). You can also germinate at home. Photinia cuttings are bad. Semi-cured cuttings are cut in July-August, and desalinated cuttings - in October. The second root in the spring. It is not forbidden to graft photinia on chokeberry or hawthorn.
Care
As already known, photinia is a heat-loving plant, which means it has drought-resistant properties. However, with a prolonged drought, it needs moderate watering. It has been proven that watering affects the decorative effect of photinia as a whole. In summer, watering should be more intense, in autumn - as needed. Sanitary pruning is carried out in the spring, it consists in removing frostbitten, diseased and broken branches.
Fertilizers for culture play an important role. Carry out top dressing during planting and transplanting, as well as in early spring and in the fall a couple of weeks before the onset of persistent frosts. Minerals are used for fertilizing complex fertilizers. Organics are applied in the fall. Since most types of photinia are not very cold hardy, they require shelter.
Photinia are often affected various diseases caused by microorganisms. As a result of their actions, dark red or grayish spots appear on the leaves, subsequently shrubs and trees can remain completely bare. That is why it is extremely important to regularly monitor the condition of the foliage. When the first signs are found, a whole range of measures should be taken, otherwise photinia will infect closely spaced cultures. Infected foliage is removed and burned, and the soil in the near-stem zone is treated with approved preparations.
Usage
Photinia is a highly ornamental plant, especially in autumn. May participate in seasonal compositions, welcome in automalia. Looks harmoniously in solitary and group landings on the lawn, as part of a hedge, as well as under a see-through canopy tall trees with a beautiful crown. But in close proximity with a dense fence, it should not be planted, as the shrub will not receive enough air.
The plant belongs to the rose family. There are about 40 species in the genus, among them there are both shrubs and trees. Naturally distributed in South and East Asia. Distinctive feature Photinia are shiny, glossy leaves, for which she got her name, which in Greek means "brilliant".
Almost all types Photinia plants not hardy and in Russia can grow only in southern regions, Black Sea coast, Caucasus. Only one kind photinia woolly
(P. villosa), can overwinter in conditions middle lane, 5a climate zone. But he also has harsh winters annual shoots may freeze slightly. It is a deciduous upright shrub up to 1.5 m high with a dense leafy crown. The leaves are oblong, leathery, as expected, shiny. In summer they are dark green in color, in autumn they become orange-purple. The flowers are white, collected in a pubescent corymbose inflorescence up to 5 cm in diameter. Flowering lasts from the beginning to the end of June. In autumn, in late September - early October, dark red fruits with a diameter of about 1 cm ripen in shape similar to apples. 
Photinia nude(P. glabra) - evergreen shrub originally from Japan up to 3 m high. The leaves are elliptical, leathery, shiny. Young leaves are bright red, but gradually the color changes to light green. The flowers are white, collected in inflorescences up to 10 cm in diameter. Flowering in May - June. The fruits are black, about 5 mm in diameter. It is not winter-hardy and is suitable for cultivation in the southern regions, in the Caucasus.
Photinia Serrata (P. serrulata) - an evergreen tree up to 5 m high, sometimes a shrub. The leaves are narrow, leathery. White flowers are collected in inflorescences up to 18 cm in diameter. Flowering - June - July. The fruits are red, about 6 mm. Only for the southern regions.
Photinia Fraser(P. x fraseri) is a hybrid species. evergreen bush up to 3 m high. It blooms with former flowers in inflorescences up to 12 cm. There are varieties in which young foliage is painted in bright red or bronze tones. Only for the southern regions.
Photinia as southern plant loves warm sunny places or light penumbra. The earth should be loose, in terms of nutritional value, an ordinary garden is suitable, but not necessarily acidic. Watering is required only during long dry periods. It is not necessary to prune the plant, only frozen and old branches in the spring. Of the pests on photinia, a spider mite may appear. Often this is due to insufficient watering.
Propagated by seeds, layering, grafting. Seeds are best sown in autumn. Then no stratification is required. Since the shell of the seeds is hard, they should be ground with sand before sowing. Layering should be done in the fall. It is best to inoculate chokeberry. You can try to propagate by cuttings. It is necessary to cut either in July-August, or at the end of October already lignified. Plant in spring. But the percentage of rooting is low.
plant seedlings better in spring. The pit should be twice as large as an earthen ball with roots. Sprinkle with a mixture of soil and compost. Mulch the trunk circle with compost. When choosing seedlings in a store, you should not buy them with bare roots.
Photinia can be used in mixed hedges. She looks beautiful in solitary plantings. In this case good neighbors for her there will be bells, a brunner, a periwinkle. From shrubs it can turn out beautiful composition along with action, spring-flowering spirea, lilac, rose, blood-red currant.
The shrub looks especially impressive in spring, when young shoots and bright red leaves appear.
Plant several copies of this wonderful plant, and then carefully select suitable flowering companions for it, whose decorative peak also occurs in the spring - their lush bloom together with the red young foliage of photinia will make a splash!
- Height: 1.5 to 4 m
- Width: 1.5 to 3 m
- Foliage classification: evergreen shrub
- Optimal location: in the sun
- Frost resistance: medium, tolerates frosts down to -10 ° С
- Soil: ordinary garden soil, without lime impurities
- Design use: hedge, ornamental shrub group, container gardening
- Pruning period: during the summer
Landing
To be sure that Photinia will take root well in your area, prepare a planting hole of at least 60 x 60 cm. For hedges, prepare a single trench of the same size. Place the seedlings in 60 cm increments. Cover the plantings with soil, gently tamping the soil to avoid the formation of air pockets. Don't forget to water.
pruning
Formative pruning
Nothing new - in photinia, we cut off young shoots immediately after planting to half their length to increase branching, and repeat the operation on next year, summer. For a hedge, the shaping haircut is done repeatedly - until the hedge has reached the desired height and density.
Sanitary pruning
As soon as the bush has faded, shorten the shoots by at least half - this way you will provide yourself with young red shoots next spring. For hedges, pruning is done according to the same rules.
reproduction
Reproduction by cuttings
Photinia cuttings are a delicate matter. In August or September, cut semi-woody cuttings 15 cm long, plant them in a greenhouse, in a pre-prepared substrate consisting of sand and peat.
Care and agricultural technology
Weed the soil in trunk circle, this will get rid of weeds, then mulch it - to retain moisture and protect against overheating of the roots. In very dry weather, watering is necessary.