Description
Photinia fraseri 'Carré Rouge' | Red tip photinia
Red tip photinia Photinia fraseri 'Carré Rouge' is a compact, bushy and upright evergreen shrub for UK gardens. It reaches an average mature height of approximately 250 cm and keeps its foliage throughout the year. The mature leaves are green, while the young leaves open in an attractive red colour. This fresh contrast gives the plant interest beyond the flowering season. Decorative white flowers add another seasonal feature in May and June. As a shrub with a naturally full outline, it can be used as a hedge plant, a specimen shrub or as part of a group planting. It is also suitable for a container where its upright habit can provide structure on a terrace or in another sheltered garden position. The plant is supplied as a compact, bushy shrub, not as a trained tree, standard or topiary form. Its reliable evergreen foliage makes it useful for planting plans that need colour and structure in every season. The red young leaves bring a clear accent among green planting, while the white flowers create a light contrast in early summer. As a member of the photinia genus, this cultivar combines practical garden use with a distinctive red-leaf display.
Key features of red tip photinia (Photinia fraseri 'Carré Rouge')
- Decorative flowering: White flowers appear in May and June. They provide a seasonal contrast against the evergreen green foliage and red young leaves.
- Evergreen foliage: The mature leaves are green, while new leaves are red. This makes the red tip photinia a useful red leaf photinia shrub for year-round planting structure and seasonal colour.
- Light and soil: Choose full sun or partial shade. The plant prefers slightly moist, humus-rich soil that retains moisture but remains well drained. Good drainage and an open soil structure are important, especially in the often wet conditions found in UK gardens.
- Form and position: This product grows as a compact, bushy and upright evergreen shrub. It can be used as an evergreen hedge shrub, in group planting or as a specimen position. A sheltered position is preferable because the plant can be susceptible to wind damage.
- Garden category: Its evergreen foliage, upright outline and white flowering period make it a natural choice for evergreen shrubs. Its compact shrub habit also suits containers and border planting where a clear, structured form is needed.
Uses of red tip photinia as an evergreen shrub in the garden
- Hedges and structure: Use this red tip photinia as a hedge plant where an evergreen shrub with a compact, bushy habit is wanted. Its upright growth creates a fuller impression from the base and gives planting a clear outline.
- Specimen and group planting: Planted on its own, it provides a strong shrub feature. In a group, the green mature leaves and red young leaves can create a layered display with useful year-round presence.
- Borders and containers: The shrub can be used in a border or container, provided it has a suitable sheltered position. Its upright outline adds structure without introducing an unsupported tree or trained-stem form.
- Hardiness: The supplied hardiness range is approximately -17.8°C to -12.2°C, corresponding to USDA zone 7. Severe frost can cause damage, so extra care is needed in exposed or very cold parts of the United Kingdom.
- Plant combinations: Combine it with plants that contrast with or complement its green and red foliage. Evergreen shrubs, flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses and perennial border plants are broad groups that can support different garden styles.
- Ornamental value: Its greatest appeal is the combination of evergreen foliage, red young leaves, decorative white flowers and a compact, bushy outline. These features give year-round structure with seasonal colour contrast.
Photinia Red Robin is a versatile evergreen shrub for UK gardens, with useful applications in hedging, borders, group planting and containers. Its year-round foliage, red young leaves and white flowers make it a practical choice for a sheltered garden position.
