Photinia

Photinia

A genus ( tribe ) of 60 plants that are distant relatives of the Roses. They all originate from Asia but are very adaptable to different climates all over the world.
All Photinias grow vigorously both in the hot humid summers of the eastern U.S. as well as the cooler summers of western Europe.
They prefer deep, fertile, well drained soil in full sun.
They are not salt tolerant. Propagation is from cuttings which can be taken any time of the year. It can also be grown from seed sown during autumn.
Photinia x fraseri can be sheared as a hedge however most other Photinias are far more beautiful and graceful left to their natural shape.
Photinia x fraseri is badly prone to leafspot funguses in humid summer regions and is no longer recommended for the U.S. Mid Atlantic and Deep South where it was formerly commonly planted.

Photinia arbutifolia ( Christmasberry )
Also called Heteromeles arbutifolia or Toyon. It is a long-lived, deep rooted, dense, rounded, small evergreen tree to 20 + feet, that is native from northern California to Baja. Some records include: largest on record - 40 x 35 feet with a trunk diameter of 1.6 feet. It makes a great specimen tree or screen.
The coarsely-toothed, thick, oval leaves are up to 4 inches in length. The leathery foliage is glossy deep green above and pale green below.
The small white flowers are borne in terminal clusters up to 3 inches in length during the summer.
They are replaced by scarlet-red, pear-shaped berries, up to 0.3 inches in length, ripening mid-autumn and persisting into mid-winter. Single plants do fruit reliably. The abundant showy berries are great for attracting birds to the landscape.
Hardy from zone 8 to 10 in full sun or shade on just about any well drained soil. Known to survive as low as 2 F but as a perennial rather than shrub/tree. Heat and drought tolerant, it is commonly cultivated in California.

* historical archive photos

Photinia beauverdiana ( Thunberg Photinia )
An extremely rare spreading tree from western China that is fast growing ( known to grow to 6 feet in a year ) . It can reach 9 feet in 2 years and eventually grow to 30 x 20 feet with a trunk diameter of 1 foot. The largest on record is 40 feet in height with a trunk diameter of 16 inches.
The minutely-toothed, narrowly-obovate leaves are up to 7 x 3 inches in size. The foliage is purplish-brown when it leafs out late during spring, turning to deep green. The foliage turns orange and red in the fall.
The flowers are 0.3 inches each are white and born on 4 inch clusters.
They are followed by 0.3 inch orange-red berries in the fall.
The bark is gray and smooth.
This tree prefers rich well drained ( especially sandy ) soils, enjoys hot humid summers and is hardy from zone 6 to 9. It also grows reasonably well in the cooler summers of western Europe. It is moderately resistant to leafspot.


* photo taken on October 17 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.

* photo taken on Feb 8 2015 @ U.S. National Arboretum, DC

subsp 'notabilis'
Glowing orange fall color and large intense scarlet berries up to 0.6 inches in fall.

Photinia davidiana ( Stransvaesia )
A fast growing, open, spreading, evergreen, small tree reaching around 15 to 20 feet, that is native to western China. Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 4 feet; largest on record - 50 x 33 feet with a trunk diameter of 13 inches.
The elliptical leaves are up to 6 x 2 inches in size. The leathery leaves are glossy deep green and some turn red during autumn though remaining for the winter. Vigorous shoots have claw like stipules at the base of the leafstalks.
The small white flowers are borne in flat clusters up to 4 inches across in late spring.
They are followed by very showy, scarlet-red hanging berries that persist for months.
Hardy zones 5 to 7. The Stranvaesia is tolerant of urban pollution.
Grows well in both the hot humid summers of the eastern U.S. as well as the cooler summers of western Europe. It is prone to leafspot and fire blight in hot humid climates.

* photo taken on Feb 2009 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.

* photo taken on March 28 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C

* photo taken on April 18 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, DC


* photo taken by Milan Havlis, owner of central Europe's premier plant nursery

* historical archive photo

'Palette'
Pink and creamy-white splashed foliage, otherwise identical to species.

* photo taken on June 23 2013 @ U.S. National Arboretum, DC

* photos taken on Sep 3 2017 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.

Photinia davidsoniae
A very attractive, vigorous, medium-sized to large tree to 30 feet or more, that is native to central China. Some records include: 6 years - 22 feet; 63 years - 84 feet ( New Zealand ); largest on record is: 84 x 52 feet with a trunk diameter of 2.6 feet.
The thick, evergreen foliage is downy red and turns to polished very glossy deep green. The leaves are up to 6.3 x 2 inches.
The small white flowers are borne in flat topped panicles up to 4 inches across.
They are followed by orange-red berries, each up to 0.3 inches across.
The bark is mottled and somewhat resembles that of the Lacebark Pine, an added ornamental feature.
Hardy zones 7 to 10. It is prone to leafspot and fireblight in hot humid climates.

Photinia x fraseri ( Red Tip Photinia )
A hybrid between Photinia glabra & P. serratifolia that grows fast into an upright, bushy shrub or small tree but can also and often is sheared as a tall hedge. It commonly reaches 15 feet if left unpruned; some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 3.5 feet; 10 years - 15 x 15 feet; largest on record - 30 x 25 feet
with a trunk diameter of 13 inches.
It often grows with many stems from the base; these are best thinned out.
The finely-toothed, oval leaves are up to 8 x 3 inches in size. The leathery foliage is bronze to bright red during spring turning to deep green during summer. This tree often gives a similar effect to the Christmas Poinsettia.
The small white flowers are produced in panicles up to 6 inches across during mid-spring.
They are followed by red berries during late summer.
Hardy zones 6 to 10 in full sun to partial shade on just about any well drained soil. It is very drought, heat and clay tolerant. Moderately salt tolerant unlike most species of Photinias. Propagate from semi ripe cuttings in summer.

* photo taken March 1994 in South Carolina

* photos taken on April 14 2010 @ Clarksville, MD



* photos taken on April 17 2010 in Columbia, MD

* photo of unknown internet source

* photo taken on April 27 2012 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Aug 15 2014 at Maryland Zoo, Baltimore, MD

* photo taken on Oct 21 2014 in Washington, DC

* photo taken on May 2 2017 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Apr 14 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Apr 22 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on May 4 2022 in Elkridge, MD

* photo taken on Oct 17 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on May 1 2023 in Columbia, MD

* red-tip photinia in South Carolina

'Kentucky'
More leaf spot and mildew resistant. Reported by horticulturalist Michael Dirr to tolerate as low as -17 F.

'Magical Volcano'
Darker new growth that persists longer. It is a back cross between Photinia x fraseri & P. serratifolia.
The foliage is more serrated than regular Photinia x fraseri.

* photo taken on May 5 2018 in Elkridge, MD

* photo taken on Apr 9 2019 in Elkridge, MD

'Pink Marble'
Similar except for new growth being deep red with a pink border. The foliage later turns to mid-green with a white border.
It can reach up to 15 feet in 8 years, eventually slightly more.

'Red Robin'
Compact with shiny red new spring foliage.
Record size is 27 feet in height.
'Robusta'
Brilliant scarlet red new spring foliage that later turns deep green.
Same size as regular Photinia x fraseri.

* photo taken on Apr 11 2015 in Elkridge, MD

Photinia glabra ( Japanese Photinia )
A moderate growing, evergreen, small tree up to 25 feet in height with a narrow domed canopy, that is native to Japan. Some records include: growth rate - 4 feet; 20 years - 20 x 17 feet; largest on record - 50 feet in height with a trunk diameter of 13 inches.
The toothed, elliptical leaves are up to 3 or rarely 5 inches in length. The leathery foliage is bright red during spring turning to glossy deep green.
The small white flowers are borne in flat topped panicles, up to 4 inches across, during late spring.
They are followed by small, fleshy berries that are red then later ripening to black persisting through the winter. One tree at the U.S. National Arboretum had berries so persistant that they remained on the tree even as the tree was blooming for the next crop.
The fissured bark is grayish-brown. The bark often flakes off on older trees.
Hardy zones 7 to 10. It prefers cooler summer climates such as the Paciific Northwest and Europe, is often prone to leafspot in the hot humid southeast.

* photos taken on May 8 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C. ( the Butterfly is Liminitis anthemis - Red Spotted Purple )







* historical archive photo

'Ruben'
Scarlet new foliage

'Variegata'
New foliage is bronzy-red with pink variegation.

Photinia nussia
A small tree native to the Himalayas and southeast Asia. It rarely reaches 30 x 20 feet though the largest recorded is much larger at 73 feet in height with a trunk diameter of 27 inches.
The finely-toothed, oblong, leathery leaves, up to 6 x 2 inches, are deep, glossy green.
The small white flowers are borne in flat topped clusters up to 6 inches across in mid summer.
They are followed by orange berries.
Hardy zones 7 to 10

Photinia parviflora ( Small-leaf Photinia )
A vase-shaped shrub, reaching up to 10 x 8 feet in size.
The finely-toothed, oval leaves are up to 2.5 x 1.3 inches in size. The foliage turns intense orange, red and purple during autumn.
The white flowers are borne in corymbs, up to 1.5 inches wide, during late spring. They are followed by orange to scarlet-red berries, up to 0.3 inches long.
Hardy zones 6 to 8 in full sun to partial shade on well drained soil.

Photinia prionophylla
A stiff, upright, evergreen shrub native to China that can reach an average of 10 x 5 feet in 10 years, however much larger with great age. The largest ever recorded is 43 feet in height with a trunk diameter of nearly a foot.
The sharply-toothed, oval leaves are up to 4 x 2 inches in size. The leathery foliage is deep green above and pale below.
The small white flowers are borne in upright flower clusters, up to 3 inches across, in summer.
The flowers are followed by red berries, up to 0.25 inches wide.
Hardy zones 9 to 10. Grows very well in the mildest parts of England.

Photinia serratifolia ( Chinese Photinia )
Also called Photinia serrulata. A fast growing, extremely handsome, very dense, medium size tree to 40 feet, native to China. Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 4 feet; 20 years - 40 x 33 feet; largest on record - 60 x 50 feet with a trunk diameter of 32 inches.
Known to grow 45 feet at the Georgia State University. It is moderately long-lived, to 110 years or possibly more.
The saw-tooth margined, oblong leaves are up to 9 x 3.5 inches in size. The foliage is coppery-red at first, turning to shiny, deep green the with some leaves turning red in fall however remaining mostly evergreen. The leaves tolerate late spring frost very well. They are also resistant to Leaf Spot Fungus.
The small, 0.5 inch, creamy-white flowers are borne in flat headed panicles up to 8 inches across during spring.
They are followed by abundant red berries up to 0.25 inches that persist through the winter.
The bark is gray brown and smooth when young; later peeling in flakes.
Hardy zones 6b to 10 ( tolerating as low as -10 F ) in sun to partial shade on just about any well drained soil. Very drought tolerant and more tolerant of limestone soils than other species. It is also more disease resistant than other Photinias.

* photo taken in Columbia, MD on Feb 2010

* historic archive photo

* photos taken on Apr 24 2016 @ U.S. National Arboretum, DC

'Green Giant'
More vigorous with flower heads up to 12 inches.

* photo of unknown internet source

* photos taken on Aug 3 2014 @ National Zoo, Washington, DC

* historical archive photo

'Kentucky'
Reported to tolerate as cold as -17 F

Photinia villosa ( Oriental Photinia )
A small, rapid growing, dense, vase shaped tree to 30 feet or more, native to China, Korea and Japan. Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 5 feet; 20 years - 37 x 17 feet; largest on record - 50 x 20 feet with a trunk diameter of 1 foot.
The heavily serrated, oval, deciduous leaves are up to 4 x 2.3 inches in size. They are bronze when young turning to deep green in summer then to yellow, orange and red during autumn.
The small, white flowers, up to 0.3 inches wide, are borne in 2 inch wide, flat-top panicles during late spring.
They are followed by showy, glossy bright red berries, up to 0.5 inches, lasting from August into December.
The gray-brown bark becomes shallow fissured with age.
Hardy zones 3 to 8, thrives in most of the eastern U.S. and Canada but requires acidic to neutral soils.

* photo taken by Milan Havlis, owner of central Europe's premier plant nursery

* photos taken on Nov 26 2021 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Apr 29 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 26 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on May 1 2023 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Nov 11 2023 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Nov 5 2024 in Columbia, MD

* historic archive photo

subsp. 'maximowicziana' ( Korean Photinia )
Very similar but with rounded instead of pointed leaf tips and bright golden fall color.

'Village Shade'
Forms a vigorous vase shaped tree, with very attractive glossy deep green foliage.