Plant ID card |
|
|---|---|
Botanical name |
Loropetalum chinense. |
Common name |
Loropeta from China. |
Family |
Hamamelidaceae. |
Origin |
China, Japan. |
Dimensions |
The shrub produces flexible horizontal branches reaching 1.5 to 2 m in height in most cultivars, 5 m and more in the type species. Very compact cultivars like 'Ruby Runner' (35 cm high by 60 cm in diameter) can serve as a ground cover or occupy a pot. Growth is average. |
Foliage |
The evergreen oval leaves of 2 to 5 cm offer dark green, purple to almost black hues. |
Bloom |
The foliage is adorned with an original flowering, with petals cut into fine strips of 1 to 2 cm, white, purple-pink, red or purplish, with more or less pronounced honey scents. It takes place between February and April, lasting 3 weeks, sometimes followed by a return at the end of summer - autumn. |
Exposure |
Sun to partial shade in hot climate, sheltered from cold, drying winds. Resists pollution. |
Ground |
Well drained, fertile rather acidic. |
Rusticity |
Moderately hardy, the plant dies if it suffers frosts below -10°C. |
The purple coloring of its neat foliage provides a beautiful backdrop to its
pink, red, purplish or white
spring flowers
. Its crumpled flowers enliven the beds with their bright colors and attract many foragers.
Where and how to plant Loropetalum?
The loropetals are moderately resistant to frost, losing part of their foliage. North of the Loire, they will benefit from a corner sheltered by walls, and can even be trained and
grown in pots.
Long, hot summers allow the branches to become well lignified, making them more resistant to frost.
Plant loropetalum in fresh, well-drained, fertile soil with an acid tendency. Give it
a sunny
but not too hot location or partial shade in a hot climate.
Planting a loropetalum in a pot
In regions with harsh winters, plant it in a large pot that you will shelter in a bright, poorly heated room in very cold weather. Add a little heather soil or leaf compost to the planting soil.
Plant Loropetalum in fresh, well-drained, fertile soil with an acid tendency. Copyright (c) 2016 Gurcharan Singh/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
How to combine Loropetalum?
These shrubs provide varied pictures alongside spring bulbs (tulips, daffodils, etc.), ferns and grasses. They go well with heather plants such as garden maples, camellias, azaleas, etc.
How to maintain Loropetalum?
The loropetalus requires relatively little maintenance.
Watering:
water properly during the first 2 years after planting;
Fertilization:
add compost in the fall and mulch the base to protect from frost and maintain cool soil during the summer. In addition, add leaf compost or light peat if the foliage is yellowing due to limescale;
Frost in winter:
protect young plants sensitive to temperatures of -6°C, with a winter veil;
Pruning the loropetalum:
there is no need to prune the
Loropetalum
because the shrub remains compact. Simply remove the dead wood. The potted shrub grows slowly but you can prune it lightly after flowering.
The loropetalus requires relatively little maintenance. Copyright (c) 2019 IZZ HAZEL/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
Varieties of Loropetalum
L. chinense
is often the only species mentioned even if we distinguish 3 species which were used for hybridizations.
'Rubrum'
has fragrant fuchsia flowers in February-March and purple-green foliage up to 1.80 m high. The young shoots are raspberry red before darkening;
EVER RED®
'Chang Nian Hong' with almost black foliage is covered with raspberry pink flowers (0.8 x 1 m);
BLACK PEARL® 'Pearl',
compact shrub measuring 1.10 x 1.10 m with almost black purple leaves and very bright pink-red flowers.