Little Red Robin, Red Tip Photinia
Photinia x fraseri Red Robin makes one of the most exciting evergreen hedges around and is also a fine specimen plant. It clips easily and can be hard pruned, so it works well as both formal hedging and in more low maintenance displays. Red Robin, or Red Tip Photinia, gets its name from the bright red young leaves which appear each spring on the the tips of every twig and stem, creating a superb show of colour that few other evergreens can compete with. The leaves gradually change through a muddle of oranges and bronzes to a lush, dark green during the summer, forming the backdrop for the next year's performance. As long as Photinia gets plenty of sun, the new foliage will be followed in late spring by branching clusters of little white flowers with pale purple stems. These become little round, red (inedible for humans) fruit in autumn - all in all, Red Robin is dressed to impress for most of the year. Photinia x fraseri is a cross between Photinia glabra and Photinia serrulata / serratifolia.
Planting and Caring for Photinia x fraseri Red Robin
Red Robin does need sun to flower well (and so produce berries) but will still grow well in quite shady spots at the back of a shrub border. That said, it needs its warmth, so a shady spot in the North probably won't work. It will grow in just about any well drained soil type - heavy clay can be alright, but only if it is on a slope, ridge or other site that does not trap water - "wet feet" and excess humidity in the air can both cause problems for your plants. While these are fairly hardy trees, their young leaves can be damaged by late frosts, cheating you of your display. If you live in a cold, frost prone area, we strongly recommend choosing a sheltered spot, ideally near a house or wall, sheltered from strong winds.
Photinia Leaf Spot: Red Robin can be prone to leaf spot in humid weather and there isn't a lot that can be done about this, other than removing and burning affected leaves, cleaning up fallen leaves and looking for ways to improve the air flow in and around the plants - it certainly isn't worth using a fungicide in all but the very worst cases. A much better way to keep leaf spot under control is to keep your plants healthy with a plant feed once a year and a bit of mulch around (but not touching) the bases of your plants.
Pruning and Trimming: Give your Red Robin plants a little trim in early spring to bring on a strong flush of bright young leaves - as these begin to lose their glow, lightly trim them again to encourage another wave - you can do this several times throughout the summer. Regular trimming also helps prevent leaf spot. Always clean up the fallen leaves from under your plants.
Photinia has an upright growth habit, so it naturally holds its shape when used as a hedge plant and will become a compact tree with a domed canopy, about 5 metres high, if left to its own devices. If you want to use Red Robin in a hedge, plan on a finished height of between 150 - 300 cms and plant at a 40-50cms spacing in a single row.
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