Dazzling "Razzleberry" Shrub
Another favorite early spring blooming shrub of mine is the showy "Razzleberry" evergreen shrub, also called Chinese Fringe Flower Loropetalum chinense, var. rubrum "Razzleberry". Its striking deep pink fringe-like flowers have a sort of "flopsy mopsy" show-off demeanor. In spring, its foliage is a verdant green, deepening to a beautiful bronze color later in the year.
Not only are its flowers and leaves showy, I love its mound-like structure, too. Although it can reach 4 feet high and wide in maturity, I keep mine compact at about 3 feet high by 3 feet wide, and off of the ground. Its layers of graceful arching branches add to Razzleberry's flowering drama which is best in the spring, but it can flower at other times throughout the year, too. It benefits from a shapely trim, now and then, and certainly before its spring bloom.
Originally from Japan and Southern China, this evergreen shrub is drought tolerant once established, and likes sun to partial shade. I planted mine under a mature avocado tree, so it has sun and partial shade. I also planted it along my boxwood pathway, surely to be noticed by passersby.
The Razzleberry shrub can be used in many different ways in the garden. Place it in an entrance to a sun-speckled woodlood garden. Plant it next to a wonderful gurgling water feature. Espalier it against your courtyard wall. With young plants, you can pot it in a patio container with other color, or in your favorite moss-covered hanging basket.
Loropetalum chinense, or Chinese Fringed Flower, comprises a large variety of cultivars, with pink, red, or white flowers and various other size and structural characteristics. Besides, the Razzleberry, other popular varieties are Ruby, Sizzling Pink, and Burgundy. They grow best in zones 7-9. These shrubs are easily found in local nurseries, and by mail order via the internet.
For an eye-catching addition to your spring garden, plant a dazzling Razzleberry shrub. Do you have a Chinese Fringed Flower shrub in your garden, you'd like to share comments on?