Photinia fraseri Red Robin - Christmas Berry

The Photinia 'Red Robin' is one of the most commonly planted evergreen hedge bushes in European gardens. Tolerant of repeated pruning, vigorous, fast-growing, and easy to cultivate, it is also appreciated for its young leaves that are beautifully coloured in coppery red, which contrasts pleasantly with the mature leaves of shiny dark green. Depending on your budget, the length of your hedge, your patience, and the time you can dedicate to gardening, there is a range of products to choose from.

- For an economical Photinia hedge, opt for 9 cm pots that you can plant all year round. The soil preparation should be meticulous (careful weeding, removal of all roots, create planting trench) and until they establish themselves it is advisable to lay a sheet at the base of the bushes to limit the germination of adventive plants and the need for weeding. Once established, they develop quickly and will soon catch up with their counterparts grown in pots. This is the most economical solution when it comes to creating a hedge at least 10 m long.

- For a fast-growing Photinia hedge or to fill in an existing hedge, choose bushes in pots of 2/3 litres, 12 litres, 25 litres, 35 litres, or even 55 litres. Bushes in pots can be planted all year round, except during periods of freezing or heatwaves. They are planted in individual planting holes, just like other bushes in the garden. While they make an immediate impact, they take a little longer to "start" and will require more frequent and regular watering, especially when the summer is dry.

Respect the proper planting distance according to the size of your plant! It is advisable to leave a space of 60 cm between each plant for bushes in pots, 70 to 80 cm for plants in 2 or 3-litre pots, 80 cm to 1 m for pots of 4 to 10 litres, and 1 m to 1.2 m for pots larger than 10 litres.

Regarding the height of your hedge: outside of specific specifications for a housing estate or co-ownership, the Civil Code applies: trees and bushes, if they exceed a height of 2 m, must be planted at a minimum distance of 2 m from the property boundary. If the height is less than 2 m, a minimum distance of 50 cm is required. The planting distance is calculated from the boundary line to the centre of the tree. The height is measured from the ground to the tip of the plant.

The Photinia Red Robin combines both ornamental and cultural qualities. First of all, it is one of the few evergreen bushes that offer young foliage strongly coloured in red. Its good tolerance of repeated pruning, which promotes the appearance of bright red shoots, along with the density of its vegetation, makes it perfect for quickly forming an effective and colourful screen throughout the year. But it is when left unpruned that 'Red Robin' truly shines: dressed in red and green, it produces fragrant spring flowers in frothy umbels of white-cream-pink, which is very pleasant. All the more reason to plant it in a free, evergreen, or mixed hedge, alongside other equally easy-to-care-for shrubs!

The Fraser Photinia is an old horticultural creation born in 1940 in the United States. It is the result of cross-breeding between Photinia glabra, native to Japan, and Photinia serrulata, native to China. This hybrid has given rise to some famous cultivars, including the New Zealand 'Red Robin', which is widely planted in our parks and gardens and on highway embankments.

On average, the Photinia Red Robin reaches a height of 3 m with a spread of 2 m. It has a dense habit and grows fairly quickly. Its well-branched vegetation is adorned with evergreen foliage, composed of tough and glossy leaves. Arranged alternately on the branches, they are about 6-8 cm long and 4 cm wide, with finely toothed edges. Their color changes from bright red to coppery red, then to bronze, and finally to bright green and dark green in summer. In March or April (or May further north), clusters of small flowers appear at the terminal ends of the branches. These flowers, which can reach a diameter of 15 cm, are somewhat uncertain in color, and are visited by bees as they are rich in nectar.

In addition to the beautiful colouration of its young foliage, the Photinia (x) fraseri Red Robin is also known for its hardiness and adaptability to all types of well-drained soil: deep, cool to dry in summer, even slightly chalky, in sunny or semi-shaded locations. Easy to cultivate and maintain, it can withstand temperatures as low as -18°C when exposed to the sun. It is naturally ideal for creating both trimmed and untrimmed hedges, and also adapts to large containers and performs impressively in flowerbeds. Highly ornamental, it can also be planted as a standalone feature in a medium-sized garden to hide a neglected corner. The possibilities for associations are numerous depending on the region and personl taste: with other easy-to-care-for evergreen bushes such as Elaeagnus ebbingei, laurel-tin, Rhamnus alaternus, Berberis, Olearias, bay laurel or Portuguese laurel, or holly. It can also accompany other bushes with white spring flowers, such as Spirea or mock orange.

Tips: Excessively chalky or clayey soils should be avoided. Pruning for balance is necessary in summer.