Photinia plants
Photinia is a marvellous, evergreen foliage shrub grown for its brilliant red young leaves that provide an interesting contrast and variation against the mainly green mature foliage. It has a fairly open, rounded growth habit, providing some movement in the breeze, and produces clusters of small white flowers in mid- to late-spring, sometimes followed by red fruits. Native to North America and Asia, Photinia make a great alternative to laurel as an evergreen hedge, particularly given its interesting foliage colours. Growing 20-40cm per year depending on the growing conditions, it can be easily clipped to size in spring and summer and is suitable for both full sun and partial shade. Winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit, Photinia Red Robin is the most popular variety by far, whilst Photinia Little Red Robin has all of the same features just in a smaller package, making it perfect as a front of the border shrub or low-growing hedge. Photinia is frost hardy but young plants should be protected in winter.