The big Loropetalum is in full bloom with its hot pink fringe!


Leaf buds on the oak by the side door are swelling and it won't be long before I start seeing the beginnings of SHADE!

What a gorgeous shrub. It's just lovely. I had to look this one up. I wish that I could grow it up here. It would be nice as a screen type of shrub too.

MissS wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 9:54 am What a gorgeous shrub. It's just lovely. I had to look this one up. I wish that I could grow it up here. It would be nice as a screen type of shrub too.

The neighborhood deer would pitch in and keep it...um...trimmed for you's....

The Gotch

That’s a big one!

Cornelius_Gotchberg wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 10:14 am

MissS wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 9:54 am What a gorgeous shrub. It's just lovely. I had to look this one up. I wish that I could grow it up here. It would be nice as a screen type of shrub too.

The neighborhood deer would pitch in and keep it...um...trimmed for you's....

The Gotch

This year's cull is in progress. I had 5 deer sleep in the neighbor's yard last night. LOL

MissS wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 9:54 am What a gorgeous shrub. It's just lovely. I had to look this one up. I wish that I could grow it up here. It would be nice as a screen type of shrub too.

It will make a BIG screen. This is Loropetalum chinensis and the one in the photo is a "compact" variety! They can get huge. I made the big mistake of planting two, the one you see and a second one along the front of the house between two windows. I didn't realize how big supposedly compact ones get, Then there's the usual "Oh, I'll just keep it pruned back." I swear I can hear that one growing. I'll cut it back to about 4' all the way around and before you know it, it's 8' tall and tapping on the windows!

I still think they're pretty. The one in the photo has never been pruned and has been there for years. It doesn't seem to be getting any bigger so maybe it's at mature size. They do have a few smaller varieties now that have been bred since way back then. They will vary in leaf color ranging from a lighter red to very dark purple (almost black).

Cornelius_Gotchberg wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 10:14 am

MissS wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 9:54 am What a gorgeous shrub. It's just lovely. I had to look this one up. I wish that I could grow it up here. It would be nice as a screen type of shrub too.

The neighborhood deer would pitch in and keep it...um...trimmed for you's....

The Gotch

There are plenty of deer here too but in all the years these Loros have been here, they haven't been munched once.

The red, purple, Loropetalum are popular here. My wife’s office has several hedges of these out front. Maybe 3’ X 4’ ovals, or eggs. I don’t remember seeing any as big as yours @GoDawgs