Photinia sp.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Close

This relative of a Rose receives its name from the fact that young leaves are red, gradually changing to a dark green as they mature. It also has bunshes of pretty white flowers attracting bees and butterflies. The leaves are the starring feature of this plant. Each new leaf that unfurls is a bright shade of red or bronze, but they gradually become a solid dark green as they mature. By continually trimming the ends of the shoots, the plant is stimulated to keep producing new leaves throughout the year.

Photinias are very popular ornamental shrubs, grown for their fruit and foliage. Numerous hybrids and cultivars are available; several of the cultivars are selected for their strikingly bright red young leaves in spring and summer. The natural range of these species is restricted to warm temperate Asia, from the Himalaya east to Japan and south to India and Thailand.