First Editions® Crimson Fire™ Fringe Flower

The fabulous First Editions® Crimson Fire™ Fringe Flower (Loropetalum chinensis var. rubrum 'PIILC-I') is the first truly compact variety! Developed by First Editions®, this gorgeous, low-growing broadleaf evergreen plant features rich ruby-red foliage that persists all through the year.

The frilly, fragrant, neon pink flowers are set off perfectly against the dark red foliage in early spring. The vibrant hot pink flowers in spring are a bonus and are highlighted by the ruby-red foliage. You may even see a second flush of bloom in fall! Your bees, butterflies, and Hummingbirds will appreciate this double dose of nectar!

Also known as the Chinese Fringe Flower, or sometimes spelled Fringeflower, this long-lived woody shrub grows about 6 inches in a season. These compact plants are very neat and tidy with a sweet mounding habit and a low canopy.

Dwarf Fringe Flowers take on the heat, sun, and humidity throughout USDA hardiness zones 7 to 9 with ease! Never backing down or fading! This neat, tidy, compact flowering evergreen shrub won't need much pruning or attention to keep it in shape either! Growing into a densely branched mound 4 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide at maturity.

Planting and Application:

Dwarf Loropetalum Crimson Fire™ is pretty enough to stand out because of the richly colored leaves, but well-behaved enough to blend in and showcase other shrubs and flowers in the garden! This plant has the perfect shape for small space gardens and foundation plantings! Crimson Fire™ will work beautifully under low windows. Perfectly sized for smaller urban gardens, they never fail to bring compliments all year long!

A beautiful evergreen with reddish-purple foliage and pink flowers doesn't sound too much like Boxwood, does it? Well, many homeowners use this shrub as an alternative to Boxwood and Barberry bushes. It's simply gorgeous lining a walk, in containers, and as landscape accents. Crimson Fire™ will breathe new energy into your hedges and borders. Create en masse drifts, rows, and groupings of Crimson Fire™, or mix and match with other Loropetalum!

This shrub grows low to the ground in a prostrate growth habit, making Fringe Flower shrubs fantastic as specimen plants in a perennial border, as landscape definition, and low garden filler. Use them as an evergreen "backbone" to carry the look of a garden border by repeating them along the entire length.

Plant with Nikko Blue Hydrangeas and Silver Carpet Snow-in-Summer for a fresh riff on a classic patriotic garden around a flag pole or your mailbox. Try mixing with yellows and whites or blues and purples for a bold garden statement! Or go all white, pink, and ruby reds for a romantic Cottage look! No matter how you use this vastly underutilized flowering shrub, you are sure to create a low-maintenance look for yourself.

Try them in a sunny side yard or as a flowering hedge lining the driveway to hide an ugly chainlink fence. These are a perfect choice for low border planting in narrow areas where easy care nature and a colorful presentation will be appreciated.

These compact plants are wonderful next to a patio, surrounding an outdoor seating area, and as colorful screening around the firepit. If you're in Zone 8 and 9, try these compact wonders in containers and scattered around the deck for plenty of easy-peasy summer color.

• Ruby-Red Foliage Year Round!
• Natural Dwarf - Neat & Compact Form!
• Broadleaf Evergreen Foliage Holds Color
• Interesting Hot Pink, Fringy Flowers in Spring & Fall!
• Pollinator-Friendly Fragrant Blooms
• Lower Growing Hedges, Screening, Backdrops, Easy En Masse & Specimens!

#ProPlantTips for Care:

While these plants are hardy in Zones 7 - 9, homeowners who live at the northern edge of Zone 7 will want to give this beautiful plant a sheltered spot in full sun. Fringe Flower also maintains the best foliage color in at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day.

If you are in Zone 7, you'll want to give Fringe Flower bushes a sheltered position to ensure they are protected from occasional cold winters. No matter your zone, the root systems will appreciate a 3-4 inch deep layer of arborist mulch.

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. 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.

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. Water new installations regularly and we recommend using the Finger Test. Once established, Loropetalum are very drought tolerant.

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. 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.

• Full Sun For Best Color
• Somewhat Acidic Well-Drained Soil
• Regular Average Moisture
• Blooms On Old Wood - Prune After Flowering
• Great Disease & Pest Resistance

If you're looking for a plant that will really stand out all year, then you will enjoy this magnificent selection! Order a few Crimson Fire™ Loropetalum for your landscape today from First Editions® plants and Nature Hills Nursery!