Plum Gorgeous Loropetalum

Plum Gorgeous Loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense 'Plum Gorgeous') holds colour every week of the year, not for a fortnight in spring. It settles at about 1.5m tall and 1.5m wide, carrying deep burgundy foliage down to ground level, then covers itself in hot pink fringe flowers each spring.

Why you'll love it

• Burgundy foliage all year. New growth flushes purple and deepens to plum, and holds that tone through winter.
• Hot pink fringe flowers. In spring the plant is smothered in threadlike pink petals that read brilliantly against dark leaves.
• A size that suits real gardens. It sits under a window, edges a path or fills a large pot without constant cutting back.
• Tough once established. Drought and heat tolerant, so a hot western bed or a narrow strip beside paving does not defeat it.

Where it works best

Low hedging and borders. Plant 80cm apart. At that spacing they knit into a continuous band within two to three seasons while each keeps room to colour up.

Mass planting. Across a bank or wide bed, set plants 80cm to 1m apart and let them run together into a single sheet of burgundy.

Pots and feature planting. A pot 400mm or wider suits a single plant, and container growing holds it a little tighter. Potted plants dry out faster in summer, so plan on watering.

Growing Loropetalum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun is where the burgundy is deepest and the flowering heaviest. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens. It takes light frost only, so cold inland and tableland districts need a sheltered warm wall rather than an open bed.

Soil. It wants a slightly acidic, free draining soil and resents lime. Work compost through the bed before planting and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the stems. On heavy clay, plant on a raised mound.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off. Feed a controlled release fertiliser for acid loving plants in early spring and again in late summer.

Pruning. Trim straight after the spring flowering, when next season's buds are set. Growth is steady rather than quick, so light and regular beats hard. It does reshoot from older wood if left too long.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes: 140mm packs of ten, 200mm packs of six and single 300mm pots. The packs are the sensible way to buy a border or a hedge run, arriving as young plants that establish quickly. The 300mm pots are branched and already carrying colour, which suits a pot or a single feature.

Expect some leaf drop after transit and a quiet few weeks while the roots take hold, then new purple growth in the first warm spell. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to plant and shape a low hedge
• Browse the evergreen shrub range
• Compare low maintenance shrubs
• Ideas for low growing border plants

Common questions

Will the leaves stay burgundy in shade?

Partly. In part shade the foliage tends toward bronze and green rather than deep plum, and flowering thins out. If the colour is the reason you are buying it, give it full sun.

Can it handle frost?

Light frost only. Established plants shrug off an occasional white morning, but hard or repeated frost damages the new growth.

How big does it actually get?

About 1.5m tall and 1.5m wide left alone, which is smaller than many loropetalums. Trimmed once a year after flowering it holds comfortably at 1m for a low hedge.