Monday Plant Feature

Featured Plant: Name: Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum (redleaf Chinese fringe-flower,redleaf Chinese loropetalum)

1. Family: Hamamelidaceae (witch hazel family)
2. Plant type: Broadleaf evergreen shrub
3. Exposure: Sun or shade
4. Branching pattern: Alternate
5. Habit: Spreading and arching branches, creates a rounded yet flat topped shrub that may read 4-10 ft tall depending on the cultivar. Often grows wider in spread than it does in height.
6. Foliage: small simple leaves with a rosey glow. The degree of redness correlates to the moisture and fertility of the solid the individual plant is in.
7. Flowers: Strap-like petals, giving it the name 'fringe-flower.' generally in pink and red shades but also may be white. Clusters of 3-6 are located in the leaf axis. Spring flowers, fragrant.
8. Fruit: Insignificant part of the plant
9. Similar species: Loropetalum chinense (green leaf species of Chinese fringe-flower)
10. Other: Particularly common in Southern gardens, this plant is also gaining popularity in the Pacific Northwest and other areas of the country where it doesn't get too cold.