Loropetalum

Loropetalum chinensis var. rubrum

Loropetalum is a beautiful plant for its fall color. I like this variety for its burgundy and deep green leaves. New leaves emerge burgundy, later turning to a nice dark green.

In late summer, it blossoms with bright fuchsia flowers.

Loropetalum prefers moist and well-drained soil, enriched with a good quality compost. It also prefers slightly acidic soil, but it doesn’t have to have acidic soil. it is very adaptable to our alkaline soils, and you won’t really notice a problem with this in your garden. If you do notice a problem, you should use an acid-loving fertilizer.

It wants full sun. If you plant in clay soil, amend it to improve the drainage.

Lorapetalum generally gets about 6′ tall and wide. If you want it to remain a shrub, you don’t even need to prune it very much.