Photinia serrulata
Chinese Photinia
Type Tree, woody plant
Hardy range 6B to 10A
Height 15' to 25' / 4.60m to 7.60m
Spread 15' to 25' / 4.60m to 7.60m
Growth rate Average
Form Rounded and vase shaped
Exposure Full sun
Persistence Evergreen
Bloom Color White
Bloom Time Spring and Summer
EnvironmentThis plant tolerates drought.
This plant will grow in very dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.
Leaf Color Green
Fall Color No change in fall color
This plant has attractive foliage.
Culture Notes Chinese Photinia needs well-drained soil and a full sun location. Plants tolerate pruning very well, although the bottom of the plant often thins when clipped into a hedge. There are much better plants for hedges, although Photinia makes a good tall screen plant. Well-adapted to sand or clay (well-drained), acid or alkaline soil, Photinia likes to be kept on the dry side and is very drought-tolerant. This is probably the most cold hardy and disease resistant Photinia and flowers earlier in the year than others.
It is popular in all of USDA hardiness zones 7 and 8 as a highway median plant and could be used more as a multi-stemmed specimen, street or patio tree. Plants are poorly suited for hedges because they grow too large; essentially you are attempting to make a small shrub out of the medium sized tree. Use along a highway medium separates the tree from humans who do not enjoy the flower smell. Prune to distribute main branches along a central trunk to increase longevity and prevent splitting. Those with several trunks originating from one spot can break apart as they grow. Unfortunately, most plants are grown in this inferior manner and this multi-trunked form is not suited for a self sustainable landscape. Plants often show signs of nutrient deficiencies, especially nitrogen and potassium, and could use regular fertilizer applications. Plants are capable of growing more than 50 feet tall.
Use as a street treeMaintain adequate mulch areaClear all turf away from beneath the branches and mulch to the drip line to reduce competition with turf and weeds. This will allow roots to become established quickly and keep plants healthier. Train and prune the trunks and branches so they will not touch each other. Remove some secondary branches on main branches with included bark, or those that are likely to develop it, as soon as possible. This reduces the likelihood of splitting from the tree later, when the tree has grown to become an important part of the landscape. Locate the tree properly, taking into account the ultimate size, since the tree looks best if it is not pruned to control size. The tree can enhance any landscape with its delightful spring flush of flowers. It can be the centerpiece of your landscape if properly located. Flowers develop from buds formed the previous year.
Planting and establishing shrubs
The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.
This plant can be grown as a multi-trunk tree for use in highway median strips and in landscapes, or can be used as a street tree where there is not a need for tall-vehicle clearance beneath the crown. The small stature and low, spreading, branching habit makes pruning for vehicular clearance difficult unless it is properly trained from an early age to develop one main trunk. The effort required initially to train this tree for street tree use, however, may be offset by its advantages.
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