Fringe Flower (Loropetalum) also known as the Chinese Fringe Flower, or sometimes spelled Fringeflower, are long-lived woody shrubs that are fantastic low-maintenance broadleaved evergreens that are space-saving and widely underutilized in today's yards and gardens!
Read on to learn more about these unique landscape offerings at Nature Hills Nursery!
All About Fringe Flowers!
Fringe Flowers are members of the Witch Hazel family, and you’ll see the family resemblance when these showy shrubs are in full bloom! Flowering when your landscape needs a shot of color the most! Like their Witch Hazel cousins, Loropetalum bloom in the mid to late winter or early spring months!
Long, slender petals form loose pompoms of colorful red, deep pink, burgundy, white, or purple flowers each with a soft fragrance and an allure that pollinators cannot resist! Long lasting on the shrub, you may even see a second flush of blooms in fall! Your bees, butterflies, and Hummingbirds will appreciate this double dose of nectar!
Featuring green foliage, burgundy, or even purple leaves, Loropetalum can change color throughout the year! New spring growth, summer foliage, and fall/winter color can be different in many varieties! The year-round colorful foliage can display different spring, summer, and fall tones as the pretty pointed leaves transform throughout the seasons!
This neat, tidy, compact flowering evergreen shrub won't need much pruning or attention to keep it in shape either! Heat and humidity-tolerant, these warm-climate shrubs are native to China and Japan and are available in a range of sizes and shapes from dwarf groundcovers to larger upright varieties.
Landscaping With Fringe Flower Shrubs
Fringe Flower shrubs can be used in various gardening situations and add their beauty year-round!
The dramatic flowering display of the Ruby Chinese Fringe Flower and the multi-hued foliage of the Proven Winners® Jazz Hands Night Moves® Chinese Fringe Flower are both incredible specimens and focal points in both your landscape beds and large planters!
Use larger Fringe Flower shrubs as hedges, backdrops, and pretty privacy all year round!
Try a 5-6 foot tall Chinese Fringe Flower as a backdrop to your Rose Garden, or brighten a Perennial back-of-the-border!
A lovely White Chinese Fringe Flower can grow 6 - 10 feet in height and provides gorgeous privacy and screening Use any of these lovely shrubs evenly spaced along your property line for low hedging and privacy. It can be pruned to look formal or left to look more naturalistic and informal without overtaking your yard.
The 5 - 6 foot tall Ever Red Chinese Fringe Flower lights up your foundation plantings with its red streamer-like flowers, and Purple Diamond® Fringe Flower creates lower property division that separates your front yard from the sidewalk!
The year-round purple foliage of First Editions® Crimson Fire™ Fringe Flower, a burgundy-leaved and low-growing shrub is perfect for screening you're A/C unit from view!
Don’t forget the cute and petite little Purple Pixie® Weeping Fringe Flower or Jazz Hands Night Moves® Chinese Fringe Flower for your container gardens or patio planters! These smaller shrubs are fantastic edging and
Many Fringe Flowers have purple to burgundy foliage adding a unique depth to the other more usual greenery in your landscape. Mix these varieties of Fringe Flower with yellow and chartreuse-foliaged conifers like Junipers or Cypress!
Mix Loropetalum among other early spring flowering shrubs like Forsythia, Witch Hazel, and Serviceberry for a traffic-stopping color combo first thing in the season!
Loropetalum are such a beautiful and versatile addition to your garden no matter where you use their long-lasting beauty!
How To Plant Fringe Flower
Follow these steps to plant Chinese Fringe Flower shrubs. For best results, plant them in the spring or fall, but if you are able to water them regularly then you can plant them at any time during the growing season!
- Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and 2-3 times wider.
- Remove the plant from its nursery pot and loosen the soil around the roots.
- Set the plant into the hole with the top of the root ball at soil level or slightly above.
- Backfill the hole with soil and tamp down slightly to remove air pockets. Water well.
- Mulch with a layer of shredded bark to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
When planting, keep one hand on the pot and one hand on the top of the soil. Tip it over and tap it gently out of the pot. Try not to grab it only by the delicate branches, it's far better to hold the soil/root ball for this pretty plant to avoid damaging the growth.
Caring For Fringe Flower
If you are in Zone 7, you'll want to give Fringe Flower bushes a sheltered position to protect them from occasional cold snaps and harsh winters. No matter your zone, the root systems will appreciate a 3-4 inch deep layer of arborist mulch.
They like well-drained soil, so don't plant it too deeply. When siting this plant, you'll want to keep it away from foot traffic. This includes keeping it out of the path of dogs who may run through it.
Water new installations regularly and we recommend using the Finger Test, but once established, Loropetalum are highly drought tolerant but do appreciate extra watering before winter. If you see any dried leaves in the interior of your plant, simply grab the hose and completely saturate the soil around the base of your plant.
Although they require very little maintenance, they will benefit from well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Fertilize with an acid fertilizer, such as Dr. Earth Acid Lovers Organic and Natural Fertilizer twice a year in early spring and mid-summer.
Loropetalum blooms on old wood, so wait until after that first flush of fringy flowers before picking up the shears. You can Prune them back to conform to any landscape setting or size need. If you plan ahead for their mature height and spread, you may never have to prune them at all! Renewal pruning is recommended every 3-5 years.
- Full Sun For Best Color & Partial Shade Tolerant
- Slightly Acidic Well-Drained Soil
- Regular Moderate Moisture Needs
- Blooms On Old Wood - Prune After Flowering
- Salt & Saline Tolerant
- Great Disease & Pest Resistance
- Deer Seldom Bother These Shrubs!
Gorgeous Early Season Blooms & Year-Round Color!
Gardeners in USDA planting zones 7 to 10 will be gushing about these vivid flowering broadleaf evergreens! Get acquainted with all the Loropetalum’s perks and beauty for your landscape! Then place your order with Nature Hills and grow these unique flowering ornamentals!
