Download Chinese Fringe Flower Care Sheet

shrubs have greater spread than height and are
densely branched.
* ‘Daybreak's Flame’ – Late season; several hot pink
flowers.
As you see new growth appear it will be almost
vinie and fast growing. Once you have a well established bonsai tree, it is just a matter of clip-andgrow for daily maintenance.
* ‘Monraz’ – Spring to late fall; Raspberry red flowers; New foliage is burgundy and matures to olive
green in color; Does best in afternoon shade
These trees can be wired very easily, but be very
aware that the tree grows very fast and to keep an
eye on the wire that it does not dig into the branch
and cause permanent damage.
* ‘Pipa's Red’ – Late; Large pink flowers; black- purple/burgundy foliage; may grow taller than wide.
* 'Plum Delight' – Midseason; Large dark pink flowers; black-purple to deep burgundy foliage; Possibly
the best for the hot Southeastern United States.
Insects / Pests: A low incidence of pest problems.
This plant has no major insect or disease problems,
however, aphids may infest new growth, so be on
the lookout for them.
* ‘Razzleberri’ - Late; Medium pink flowers; largegrowing.
Propagation: Seed - sow in a warm greenhouse in
late winter or early spring. When they are large
enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse
for at least their first winter. Cuttings of half-ripe
wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame.
Air Layering in the spring.
* ‘Sizzlin Pink ’ - Early to midseason; Medium pink
flowers; black-purple to burgungy dark green foliage
Repotting: Loropetalum prefers moist but loose,
well-drained, rich, humusy, acidic soil, but it is very
adaptable to less than ideal conditions. It will, however, show chlorosis in a non-acid soil. Be sure to
set the plant so that the root ball is right at or just
above ground level and mulch over. Repot every
two years.
Design and Styling: Loropetalum tend to have a
wide spreading shape. They will lend nicely to cascade and windswept styles. An older tree can be
trimmed to most any style, especially an informal
upright or broom style.
Chinese Fringe
Flower Care Sheet
* ‘Ruby’ - Midseason; medium hot pink flowers;
dark-green to burgundy foliage; large growing.
* ‘Suzanne’ - Midseason; Medium pink flowers;
dark black-green to bronze or burgundy foliage
* ‘Zhuzhou Fuchsia’ – Early to mid-season; Hot pink
flowers; black-purple to deep purple foliage; May
survive to a temperature of 10 below zero.
Some White-flowering Loropetalum varieties:
* ‘Hillier Compacta’ – Small white flowers; spreading, ground cover habit, vigorous, horizontal spreading branches.
* ‘Snow Dance’ – Small white flowers; green foliage;
compact, shrubby habit, smaller leaves than species,
slow growing; blooms later than the rest.
* ‘Snow Muffin’ – 2 feet tall, leathery dark green
leaves, smaller leaves than species.
Brought to you by
S & S Bonsai of Colorado Springs, Colorado
(Most of the included information is obtained from several
online sources.)
Some Pink-flowering Loropetalum varieties:
* ‘Blush’ – Early to midseason with hot pink flowers;
light bronze new foliage that darkens to an olive
green with age.
* ‘Burgundy’ – blooms midseason; Medium-sized
dark pink flowers; black-green to medium burgundy
foliage; may grow slightly wider than tall.
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if
you were to live forever.”
—Mahatma Gandhi—
The Chinese Fringe Flower
(Loropetalum (lor-o-peta-lum)
chinense var. rubrum 'Ruby' )
General Information: Loropetalum (lor-o-petalum) chinense var. rubrum 'Ruby'. Being a true
dwarf, "Ruby" makes for a nice compact, rounded
shrub, averaging 4' x 4'. Its new foliage is ruby red
(thus the name), and its flowers hot pink. This
beautiful foliage is topped from spring to fall with
fuchsia pom-pom like flowers. Loropetalum
chinensis var. rubrum 'Zhuzhou Fuchsia' prefers a
well drained non alkaline soil and will show chlorosis in a high pH soil. This shrub has an upright
growth habit making it perfect to train as a standard or as an espalier. Zhuzhou Fuchsia is one of
the most cold hardy cultivars available.
Nihonkaki Nursery in Kawaguchi City, Japan, provided the first pink-flowering burgundy-leafed
varieties of Fringe Flowers (Loropetalum chinense
var rubrum) to the U.S. National Arboretum in late
1989. Loropetalum is very new to the bonsai
world. Soon others were being imported & given
American cultivar names, often without bothering
to notice the same cultivars were already in production under different names, leading to considerable confusion as to how many cultivars began
the Chinese Fringe Flower craze
By the year 2000 this formerly little-utilized shrub
seemed to have about two-dozen burgundyleafed cultivar offerings in the trade, though some
were the same cultivars under sundry names, as in
the case of 'Plum Delight' reaching the market
under the alternative names 'Hines Purpleleaf,'
'Hines Burgundy' & 'Pizzazz.'
The fragrant strap-petaled flowers resemble those
of star magnolia or witch hazel. Chinese Fringe
Flower is in fact a close relative of witch hazel. The
species is native to Japan, southern China, &
northeastern India. The original wild burgundy-
leafed variant may well have been more restricted
to southern China, but has long been dispersed in
China & Japan in cultivated forms. It was not described until 1942, when thickets of it were found
in the wilds of Hunan province. Its botanical status
as a variant is debatable & rubrum may have originated in southern China as a cultivated sport which
subsequently found its way into the wild.
Flowers: The flower clusters of Loropetalum are
about 2 inches across and look much like its relative the witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). Each
flower consists of four narrow, ribbon-like petals
that give the flowers a spidery appearance. Six or
eight flowers clustered together produce a riot of
color at peak bloom. L. chinensis’s flowers are
white or yellowish while those of L. chinensis rubrum are pink, fuchsia, or red. Both bloom in spring
and then continue sporadically throughout the
summer.
Leaves: The leaves are oval with an alternate stem
arrangement, about 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) long, and
about 1 in (2.5 cm) wide. Foliage of the white form,
L. chinensis, is light green to yellowish-green and
lighter on the underside. Red forms, L. chinensis
rubrum, typically have leaves that are darker green
and, depending on the variety, have burgundy, red
or copper tints. They are bright reddish burgundy
upon opening, and then turn purplish bronze, fading to greenish bronze late in the season.
CARE
Temperature: USDA Zones 7A-10A. Terrifically heat
tolerant. Growers estimate that the plant is hardy
to about 10 degrees and perhaps as cold as 5°F (15°C). The white-flowering varieties seem to be a
bit less cold hardy. Great care should be taken for
the winter months. Loropetalum will do well indoors for the winter if given plenty of light. It does
not need a dormancy period. Don’t winter outdoors as a bonsai, as the roots will not like to be
frozen.
Lighting: Loropetalum grows best in full sun to par-
tial shade. Some of the bronze-leaved varieties
need lots of sun to retain their dark foliage, maintain a full, dense shape, and bloom well. Though
they will tolerate shade, in more than 50 percent
shade the plants will be less striking than if they
receive more sun.
Watering: The plants’ watering needs are similar
to most other broadleaf evergreen shrubs. Keep
evenly moist, somewhat dry between waterings.
Fertilizing: pH: 5.1-5.5, very acidic. Fertilize in
early spring or midsummer with a Rhododendron
or Evergreen type of fertilizer, after the first rush
of spring blossoms is a good idea . Spread the
fertilizer at the drip-line of the plant, never under
the plant where it might burn the feeder roots.
Then be certain to water-in the fertilizer immediately after application, so there is no chance of
burning the feeder roots.
Pruning / Training: It has been reported by some
that pruning a Loropetalum in the bonsai form is
difficult to do, as the cut branches do not bud
back easily. This can be confirmed by this author. I
have found it much easier if you leave the tree in a
large 5 gallon nursery pot for the first 3 or 4 years
of the trees life. This way you can trick the plant
into thinking that it is planted in the ground, thus
being able to prune. When pruning this way the
branches bud back much quicker.
If you prune while in a bonsai pot DO NOT do
drastic pruning or the tree will die. Instead, only
prune a few branches at a time, making sure that
you do not prune back too far. In a few weeks,
after the first pruned branches show good growth,
move on to the next few branches. It will take a
couple of years to get the tree to the shape you
want. But if you take your time and do not expect
a true bonsai in the first few years, you will be
rewarded with an awesome tree. If you prune a
branch back to no leaves, it will probably die.
Pruning is best done in early Spring or just after
blooming. Loropetalum has a spreading habit with
branches arranged in horizontal layers. Young