Photinia ‘Thin Red’

Photinia 'Thin Red' (Photinia x fraseri 'Thin Red') solves the narrow boundary problem. It grows to about 4m tall but only 1m wide, so it screens a two storey neighbour along a side fence with no room for a conventional hedge. Every flush of new growth comes through bright red before hardening to glossy green.

Why you'll love it

• Genuinely narrow. A 4m by 1m footprint is the whole point. It fits a one metre strip beside a driveway, a pool fence or a townhouse boundary.
• Red new growth on repeat. Each flush emerges scarlet and holds the colour for several weeks, and a light trim brings on another flush deliberately.
• Fast enough to be useful. It closes into a screen quickly for an evergreen shrub, so you are not waiting five years for privacy.
• Formal look, less work. Being naturally columnar it holds a tidy shape with far less trimming than a hedge that wants to grow sideways.

Where it works best

Narrow screens and hedges. Plant 70cm apart in a single row. The plants knit into a continuous green wall while each keeps its upright habit, and the strip stays about a metre deep.

Balconies, courtyards and small gardens. A pot 500mm or wider holds it at roughly 2m to 2.5m, enough to block a sightline on a terrace.

Driveways and entries. Spaced 1.5m apart it reads as a row of individual columns rather than a solid hedge, which suits a formal approach or a pair flanking a gate.

Growing Photinia 'Thin Red' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the strongest red and the densest habit; part shade mutes the colour. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and being frost hardy it handles cold southern winters. In humid gardens, keep air moving through the row to limit leaf spot.

Soil. Any reasonable garden soil with drainage. Work compost through the trench before planting a row, and mulch 75mm deep kept clear of the stems. It will not tolerate waterlogging, so mound a bed on heavy clay.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then reduce as the roots establish. Feed a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and mid summer, which drives the red flushes.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to build density at the base. After that, two trims a year hold the shape and each triggers a fresh flush. Avoid trimming late in autumn in cold districts.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes here: tube stock, and 200mm pots sold in packs of six. Tube stock arrives as a young single stemmed plant, usually 15cm to 25cm tall, and is the sensible option for a long boundary. Expect three seasons to reach screening height. The 200mm plants are around knee height and roughly a season ahead.

Some leaf drop after transit is normal and grows out within a month. Once established, expect around 50cm to 80cm of height a year with water and feed. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to plant and maintain a sharp hedge
• Browse tall and narrow screening plants
• Compare screening plants in the 2m to 4m range
• The full hedging and screening range

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

Seventy centimetres apart in a single row. Because the plant is naturally columnar, that spacing closes the gaps without the plants competing, and the finished screen stays about a metre deep.

Why is my new growth green instead of red?

Usually not enough sun, or not enough feeding. Red flushes are strongest in full sun on a plant fed in spring and mid summer, and a light trim brings on the next round.

Is it safe around pets?

Photinia foliage contains cyanogenic compounds and is not considered pet safe, so it is not the choice for a boundary a dog chews along. Put prunings in the green bin rather than within reach.