PlantFiles: Chinese Witch Hazel, Chinese Fringe Flower, Pink Fringe Flower
Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum

I am a new gardener, I don't have much experience under my belt. I am in the 8-9 zone.. I just got a Chinese Pink Fringe Bush for my 20th birthday. It says full sun, and I have been keeping it watered (although not too much) and today I found that the flowers had all shriveled! The weather here in College Station (Millican, TX) is beginning to warm up exponentially, I wonder if the sun was just too much for this plant? If anyone has had a similar experience or has some advice, it would be greatly appreciated!

We had six lorepelatum bushes in various spots when we bought our house, and we moved them all. They are now our foundation bushes, in front of our house. We love them! They have been in place for three years, and while we're still learning how to properly prune them they are our favorite plants. Hardy too! Mine go electric pink with blooms every spring, and bloom on and off all summer. The leaves turn purple late winter and late fall, and I give mine no attention other than a pruning once or twice a year. They are in full sun all day long, and love it!

I planted Fringe Flower year before last here in zone 6b. It did little the first year. However, once established this past year, it has doubled in size and bloomed well. It has thus far withstood the very cold winter and the unusual amount of snow and ice we've had with no problem ... and still has its leaves. It provides interest all year around withstanding hot and humid summer weather as well as cold winter weather.

jazzy ..... how is your plant doing in this long stretch of 100+ degree days? I would love to have some if it is as pretty and blooming as I have seen in pictures, as a low shrub in front of my house. I need things that will take morning sun and afternoon shade.

My fringe here in OKC is about 7 years old and HUGE! I originally bought this one-gallon plant because it's evergreen and because it had an unusual branching habit. The branches formed an interesting 90 degree angle. I purposely planted it so that it would eventually grow AROUND the northeast corner of our house. It worked! Now it is a 10 foot tall shrub on the east side of the corner, masking a rainbarrel and providing shade and contrast for a variegated weigela on the east side of the corner. On the north side of the corner, it is limbed up like a small tree and provides shade for hostas, ferns, and other shade plants. The best part is that it blooms several times a year, whenever the weather is cool and damp for a day or two!

I planted one of these chinese fringe (witch hazel) shrubs at my parents' house in Bethlehem, PA and it has been doing well for the last 2 years. The local Lowes hardware store sells this plant every year even though the tag said zone 7 (Bethlehem is in zone 6)...This shrub survived 2 cold winters so far without me winterizing/mulching it for wintertime, BUT it is near the house foundation which I am sure protects it from the harsh winter winds...This plant is well worth the extra care..it's fuchsia blooms and Burgundy leaves are just beautiful.

***UPDATE***(08/2011) The Chinese Fringe is still thriving here in Bethlehem, PA...wonderful blooms a few times during the Spring & Summer...Some of the leaves do get occasional 'burn' during the Winter but the shrub comes back like gangbusters in the Spring.

***2nd Update*** (04/23/2012) Plant is surviving well near foundation of the house, this year we have seen the most plentiful blooms, possible because of the mild winter we had here in Pennsylvania. I am thrilled that this plant has done so well in zone 6 even though it is noted as a zone 7 plant.

In mild-winter climates, this plant can easily reach 15 feet or more in height.

Zone 6a/b border in Cincinnati OH
I have been growing this plant through two winters now and it is deciduous here but is re-budding leaves as of mid-april 2010. It has not grown significantly but has survived temperatures down to -5 or -6F. Next winter I plan on trying a bit of protection to see if I can make happier. I also see here that it likes acidic conditions so I may try to help it out a little there and see if it does better. Being in Zonial Denial I buy inexpensive plants in FL and push them beyond there limits, often with great results.

After 20 years of unsuccessfully trying to get any type of flowering or color-foliage shrub to grow the Chinese Fringe Flower took off and thrives. We've not done severe pruning or shaping so it is over 10 feet high with long broad branches, perfect for peeking thru the oak and palm trunks in a "woodland" hillside garden. In spring it is completely covered in the superb little fringe flowers.

It doesn't get an extraordinary amount of summer water. The trees keep it shaded from the hottest part of the day. It's the Montclair/Piedmont hills of Oakland, CA so it's heavy clay soil. We've never ammended the soil or fertilized it.

We have also successfully rooted new starts from semi-hard branches cut as soon as the plant stops its major bloom in May or June.

Plant with caution in zone 6. But it is worth the trouble to protect it in winter. I have 4 plants in my yard, they need to be covered during the coldest part of the winter (jan-feb). I plan to take a picture of them in the spring when they bloom.

We love ours!! Grows like mad. I now live in SC however I am moving to NC in 2 weeks. I want to propagate some for me and my father-in-law! Does anyone know how to do this? Thanks!!

This is perhaps the easiest plant I have ever had -- and the foliage and flower colors are outstanding here in coastal South Carolina. My 8 plants are usually pruned (NOT sheared) twice per year and I keep them at about 6 feet tall. They have been in the ground for 7 years now and I have not noted any insect or disease problems. They thrive on our normal rainfall and little or no fertilization. This past month, I have added a white-blooming cultivar to my collection and it will be interesting to see if it will be as strong a plant as the others. Docturf

I love the foliage and flower combination on this plant. But I have to admit that I've already lost one plant. I am still trying to determine whether my tree fern and hibiscus hogged all the water in the bed or whether the witch hazel doesn't like the sulfur level of our well water. I'll keep you posted.

I thought I had berberry of some sorts. I could not really find what it was. Today it was the picture of the day. Holy Cow! There it was!!!

When I saw the picture with the flower - BINGO! I bought this a few years ago and put it in an area that gets FULL Florida sun all summer long and all winter, too. It stays nice and moist and depending on the rains, can be downright soggy with poor drainage. I have 2 and I have to clip them 3 times a year. Once in spring to shape, once in summer to keep in bounds and again in fall to keep in bounds. It finally behaves during the winter where it will get a few frosts and I have never covered it. This is one carefree plant in my garden. The only attention I have paid it is to trim it. I love the flowers, they are so pretty in their pink/purple color. Oh, I am so happy I finally found out what it was. Boy, I sure do love Dave's!

So, the moral of my silly long story, it takes neglect, wet sandy feet, no additional care and doesn't care about Florida sun. I think I cant kill it if I tried... Woo Hoo!!!

It even is used a lot in our highway dividers. Now you know those are neglected and they still look great. Granted they are smaller than mine and they dont seem to grow out of hand. Cool.

I love this shrub. I have some that are 8 feet tall and the others I have kept to 4 with pruning. They are probably 20 years old. I would say that in zone 9 they will not grow in full sun and resent afternoon sun. I've lost several in this situation. While it is more sparse than the ones with half day sun, I have one that grows and blooms in bright shade. Sometimes it reblooms here at the very end of summer, but it is not as intense as the first bloom. The dark pink new growth and the texture of the leaves makes this plant beautiful all year round.

I love this plant. I am afraid I'm going to end up overplanting. But it's so beautiful!

My neighbor gave me a small one about 3 years ago - It has grown very fast - doubling every year, so I prune it back fairly severly to get a fuller look. I love the pretty pink flowers I have found that this plant is very easy to root from cuttings - I start them in damp sand.

Mine lives in a northeast L-shaped corner. It is somewhat protected. It started off small, and after three years, is now 8' tall, with very open, wispy, arching branches. It does bloom off and on all summer. I love it. My brick is purple/dark red, and it blends very effectively. I'm wondering how I can propagate it for some plant swaps... I'm going to look for more information.

I'd recommend this as a great backdrop for a lighter color accent flower or garden...

I have had great success with this shrub. As I live in west Texas growing conditions - brutally hot and dry - I have it planted in full shade, where it gets about an hour of early morning sun. This hasn't affected it's bloom or the leaf coloration. My Pink Fringe is a backdrop for false nettle and early spring miniature narcissus. It shares space with an old rosemary plant and they get along quite nicely. I water deeply once a week during the worst of the summer heat, when we have day after day of 100+ temps. It tends to wilt a bit, but perks right up when September rolls around and the temperatures drop.

Near Tampa, Florida;
Mine's been in the ground since spring 2003 and although it has not grown a lot, it is perfectly healthy and quite pretty. The leaves are small and so the plant has a fine texture which is nice in a shrub. Mine is not shown to best advantage yet. One day it will be full grown, highlighting the dwarf powderpuff, the trailing white Lantana, the beautyberry, the caladiums, to best advantage. Mine gets full sun technically, six hours, but is shaded early morning and mid-afternoon most of the year. I've seen no leaf burn. Mine is supposed to be a smaller variety, but these shrubs are variable, so time will tell...

San Antonio, Texas

One of my favorite plants. I planted two in the ground against a wooden fence and under oak trees, and two others in large planters. These receive morning sun. The ones in the ground have not suffered freeze burn to the leaves at 26°F, but the flowers did suffer. An excellent plant for our region due to its heat and cold hardiness, as well as suffering no insect damage. I brought the pots inside during the coldest weather and they produced blooms inside a bedroom that receives very little light!

The deep green and purple leaves and the magnificent deep pink feathery flowers which appear through all seasons because of our mild weather make this an exceptional specimen plant. I have two varieties: one is a taller-growing variety which I used as a screen in the background to set off greener plants and hostas in one spot. The other variety is lower, more dense growing so it is used in the foregound. Beneath the taller variety under an oak tree, I planted evergreen ferns which grow to about 20 inches. Oxalis (wood sorrel) which blooms pink in the spring is planted as ground cover in front of the ferns to complement the pink of the purple fringe plant.

For optimum performance, the soil shoild be highly acidic with lots of compost. I used 1/2 garden mix and 1/2 peat moss in the holes in which they were planted which were twice the size of the rootball. Until established,they should be watered frequently in hot weather. After established, I water them when the leaves start to wilt somewhat. In containers, they need to be watered frequently if the roots are starting to bind. Fertilize alternating between an all purpose fertiler and an acidic fertiler. I do not know if the plant will bloom in total shade. With filtered sunlight and/or morning sun, they do very well. My neighbor saw mine and bought 2 of the tall variety which she planted in full sun near a pond feature. They appear to be doing fine so far.

This is an unusual and pretty plant for the foreground. Supposedly gets 3-5' tall but the 'Rubrum' and 'Razzleberri' varieties have drooping tiered branches that layer gracefully. Mine is young and is only 8" tall so far, but already has a 2 ft. spread.

Beautiful dark purplish leaves with rosy-pink flowers. Needs bi-monthly deep watering, does not like too much water or branches will die off. Mulching helps, needs rich soil and protection against freezes. Would be very attractive in raised beds, in front of an Artemisia like 'Powis Castle' -- setting silvery foliage against the dark 'Rubrum'.

Added Sept 2003: Growth has been slow on this plant. Some die-off of branches in dry spells. Have been watering more often and one of the plants has suddenly shot a new branch straight up in the air (very odd looking) so perhaps this really will try to get to 4 ft. tall. I was beginning to think it was going to stay 1 foot tall forever!