My redtip photinia shrub is bright and pretty right now. This shrub always begins vigorously growing every year in early spring. These broadleaf evergreen shrubs are fast growing and can get up to 20 feet tall and can spread to 10 feet wide if left unpruned. Mine is about 10 feet tall and I trim it often. These shrubs are very tough and easily withstand severe pruning. After pruning, the shrubs will quickly produce new sprouts and it is only this new growth that produces the bright red color. The deep red color of the leaves lasts a month or longer and then gradually matures to a dark, glossy green.
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Bright red new growth
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My redtip is covered in bright red new growth right now, and this will last about a month. I’ll prune it again in early summer, and it will again produce the bright red leaves. I usually prune mine two or three times throughout the summer. It grows very fast and would become leggy quickly if I didn’t keep it pruned.
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Redtips are very easy to grow and will do fine in full sun to partial shade. I have found though that the more sun the shrub gets, the brighter red the new growth will be. I know that these shrubs are very susceptible to leaf mold so they need to be planted where they have excellent air ciruclation around them. I also try never to wet the leaves when I’m watering, and I haven’t had problems with fungus or leaf mold.
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Closeup of newest leaves on redtip
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I’ve had good success in propagating these shrubs by cuttings. In fact, the very first one I had (the one that is the largest now) came from a cutting I took from a neighbor’s shrub several years ago. Last summer, I took cuttings of about 8-10 inches from the softer, younger tips of this shrub and placed them in a large container I have in dappled shade in the woods. In this old tub, I have a mix of potting soil, loam, peat moss, and sand. Most of my cuttings rooted quickly and I left them in the container through the fall and winter and now have several small red-tip shrubs to transplant. I love the look of these shrubs, and they really are striking with all the new red growth. Click on any of the photos in this post to view a larger version. Also, be sure and read the comments below this post for a lot more information on Redtip Photinia shrubs.
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Redtip Photinia related posts:
Misc. Garden photos
Flowers & Plants this week
Plants this week, April 20
Winter color
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I JUST BOUGHT A RED TIP PHOTINIA AND IS ABOUT 2 FEET TALL WITH 4 BRANCHS FROM THE ROOT BALL, HOW DO I TRAIN IT TO BE A TREE? AND I JUST PLANTED IT IN THE GROUND SO WHEN CAN I START PRUMING IT, SO IT LOOKS LIKE A TREE?
MARLENE
martav3 at sbcglobal.net
Hi Marlene,
I would wait a week or two to let it get over the shock of transplanting, and then prune the tips of the four branches. As it grows the base will get thicker and stronger and start to grow more upright. You can prune these shrubs at any time throughout spring and summer after they’re established. In fact, the more you prune them, the more new red growth you will get. Good luck with yours!
Hello Sherry:
My red tips are nice and tall, however, I have one problem with them. They have red and black spots on them. I had them last year and now they are back. What can I do to reduce the appearance of the spots and have my redtips healthy once more.
Hi Ronald,
Leafspot or Black Spot is very common with redtips, and that may be what is ailing yours. It happens a lot, especially during wet conditions. I would rake away any mulch or anything else on the ground around it, trim back any diseased or badly infected branches, thin out some of the branches and make sure the shrub is getting very good air circulation. Try not to wet the foliage at all if you have to water it. I would also get a fungicide spray especially for Black Spot and use it as directed. Good luck!
[…] of newest leaves on redtip. -. I??ve had good success in propagating these shrubs by cuttings. Unlike most shrubs, when the red Twig Dogwood leaves fall to the ground, this […]
I’ve been trying to propagate photinias but I’ve been unsuccessful so far. All the cuttings that I’ve taken so far are still intact in an old aquarium filled with a mixture of peat moss and perlite. The leaves look fine and the stem is not rotting but nothing is happening and it has been over 2 months.
Did it take a long time for your cuttings to start producing roots? Did you wait for the red leaves to turn green before taking a cutting?
Hi Ross,
Sometimes it takes a few weeks. No, I didn’t necessarily wait for the leaves to turn green. I’ve rooted cuttings of both red and green-leaved shoots, all throughout the summer. If yours have leaves that still look fine after more than two months, they must be producing roots. I usually leave mine alone for several months (watering during dry spells) before transplanting and have even waited until the following spring before removing them, and have had good success — not every cutting will root, so be sure and take several to try. Good luck. :)
I want to plant a hedge of Red Tip Photinias to hide my wooden fence. How far apart do I plant each one?
hi. i have 50 feet of property line that i want to use red tip photinia along, if i wanted to keep them 3-4 feet high,and as dense as they can be, how far apart should i plant them?
Hi Damian and robin, sorry to take so long to respond to your posts, I’ve been away for several weeks. My redtip shrubs are very dense and at least 6′ wide. For a hedge, I would probably plant them at least 3′ apart. I know they do need good air circulation around them so I wouldn’t plant them any closer together than that. Hope this helps.
I notice that my Red Tip lost all the leaves. I know we are in winter now, but it is my understanding that the Red Tip is an evergeen, therefore, leaves should stay all year. Is my plant sick?
Hi Ruben,
Yes, they are evergreen and should not lose all their leaves. Did you notice any bright red spots on the leaves before they fell? Unfortunately, the spots and leaf drop are signs of a common disease in these shrubs called Entomosporium Leaf Spot. It’s very difficult to control and can spread to other nearby redtip shrubs.
Here’s a link with more info about this:
Leaf spot
-Sherry
Sherry,
I have 4 redtips, 3 which are at least 6′ but they are not very full. They are about 6 yrs. old, have been in place for almost 5 yrs. Can I prune them now, how short & will they bush out? They look like trees & I’d like to move them several feet for privacy in a border of arborvitae. They have never bloomed, could this be because they are in part shade?
Hi Ann,
I’m in Zone 7 and I prune mine anytime from early spring through late summer. They will do better if you thin out the branches so they have good air circulation, and also if you trim off the branches that touch the ground. With regular pruning, they will form a dense hedge. Yes, they do bush out and get thicker with every pruning.
They will have much deeper red color in the new-growth leaves if they get a lot of sun. I’m not sure why yours haven’t bloomed, it could be due to the part-shade.. they usually bloom in April, but I almost always prune mine just to get the red leaves. The flowers are very strong-smelling.
Good luck with yours, and thanks for visiting. :)
I have a red tip I want to transplant. Its about 6ft tall is this possible or will I kill it?
Hi roger,
In my experience, they transplant very easily. I would cut it back a little before moving it, and then water it in well.
I’ve also had good luck in rooting the cuttings. Good luck with yours.
Sherry
I have a row of photinias and my neighbors is alergic to them when they bloom. They are elderly and say that it makes it difficult for them to breathe. We like our hedge (privacy), but don’t want to kill off the neighbors.
Is there a spray that we can apply that will prevent them from blooming? Also, that won’t hurt the shrub.
Hi Sean,
I don’t know of any spray that would prevent them from blooming. Why not prune them hard before they bloom? I prune mine several times a year including early spring and I don’t see any flowers.
Try pruning them back hard in March, you’ll get lots of pretty red new growth but hopefully no flowers.
Sorry I can’t be of more help,
~Sherry
I would like to plant red top photenias at one side of my home.
How far from the exterior wall should they be placed?
How far apart? I, too, want a low hedge – and want to keep them red as much as possible!!
I notice you said in a previous reply that 3 feet apart would be recommended –
Hi Paula, I would plant them at least 3 feet apart, and at least that far away from the house, depending on how big you want them to get. They grow quickly here, and the more you prune them, the more red new growth you will have. I would also keep the lowest limbs (to the ground) cut back, as these shrubs need good air circulation around them to lower the risk of the dreaded Leaf Spot they are prone to.
I think the redtips will make a beautiful low hedge! Good luck with yours,
Sherry
Hi there ~ I have had my redtips for about 4-5 years. They grew great at first. Now, the few at the ends are getting leaf bare (they lose their leaves), and the leaves are yellowing. We recently replanted one of them because it looked so bad, and due to an unprecedented amount of snow, a few branches broke.
After reading some of your posts, it is possible the plants have the fungus. However, I am in Zone 11 (Las Vegas area) and really don’t have much rain…I thought the plants needed more iron, but now I am not sure…any suggestions?
Hi Keri,
Do they have small bright red spots on the leaves? That’s the first sign of the disease. (Small amounts of the leaf spotting will cause little damage)
With yellowing leaves, I’m not sure. I would maybe thin out the shrubs so that they have better air circulation, keep them well-watered right after transplanting and in severe dry spells and make sure to keep the branches clipped at the bottom so they do not touch the ground.
I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.
[…] Related posts: Redtip Photinia Shrub Wild Violets Wildflowers and other […]
I live in southeastern NC. The positioning of my house makes it so that the front gets the full heat of the sun. In the spring it’s not so bad, but come summer, it’s extremely hot and I’m having a terrible time finding things that will grown along the front of the house. My favorite shrubs are redtips. Would they grow well under these conditions?
Is it possible to successfully grow redtips in pots? We are hoping to move in a few years, but I want to have some now. However, when we move I want to take some of them with me.
Hi Cricket,
Honestly, I’m not sure if they would thrive with that kind of sun exposure, and the reflected heat from your house. I think they might. I have some that get about 6 hours of full sun a day and they’re doing well, in fact the red color on those is much more intense than the ones that get less sun.
If you plant them along the front of your house, I would definitely plant them far enough apart that they have plenty of air circulation around them.
Yes, you can grow them in pots. I have kept my rooted cuttings in pots sometimes for a year before planting them.
Hope you have good luck with yours,
Sherry
My Redtips are about 12′ tall. This spring they lost all of there leaves and are totaly diseased.I never realized there was maintanance to them. After reading alot of recomendations, I am going to cut them down to about 2′ from the ground,remove all the mulch and reposition my sprinklers to keep the area dryer. Just in case they do not come back, I am going to plant something behind them. The redtips are covering my electric meter and bath window. Are there any sugestions on what to plant behind them, or another idea on how to save them? The area is partial sun. Air circulation is low in that corner of my house with the fence and all. Thanks
Hi Rollie,
So sorry to hear about your redtips! I hope you can save them. As for suggestions on replacements, maybe try euonymous, one of the variegated shrub types? They are fast growing and evergreen and would screen an area well. Burning bush would be good, although they are deciduous.
Sherry
Hi Sherry,
I just purchased a home in the Sierra Nevada foothills in California, and while searching for info on the Red Tip Photinia, stumbled across your fabulous and informative site!
I have several Photinias scattered throughout my half acre site and want to transplant them along the property lines for privacy.
Shall I transplant after the flowers bloom…wait until fall…or try and hold off until spring?…though this year there was still a bit of snow on the ground in April.
Thanks for any advice you can offer.
Catherine
Thanks Catherine. I’m glad you found the site informative. :)
Redtips transplant readily here anytime during spring and I’ve even transplanted in early summer. I’m not familiar with your area so this is just my opinion — I would hold off transplanting them at least until the freezing/thawing is over but before the weather turns hot.
Good luck, hope yours do well.
-Sherry
[…] posts: Redtip photinia shrubsWinter […]
Hi Sherry,
I’m interested in starting new redtips, could you explain how and when to do this? How long after they are started can I transplant them to their permanent home? I’m in zone 6.
Hi Ann,
I take several cuttings (a dozen or so) from the longest branches (newest growth) of the shrub, about 16 inches in length. I strip off all but a few leaves and stick the stems about 6 or 8 inches down into a sandy, moist rich soil (make sure that the soil is compacted tightly against the cuttings), and put them in an area outside that gets dappled sunlight. I actually have a large old metal tub I use for this purpose, it is filled with a mixture of sand, peat moss, and rich loamy soil and I have it sitting in the edge of the woods and it stays there year-round. The bottom of the tub has several holes so that it gets good drainage. I water the tub only if it hasn’t rained in a couple of weeks.
After 6 weeks or so, you will be able to tell which ones have rooted by the new growth, or just tug on them a little and see if they have rooted. I have sometimes left cuttings in the tub for up to a year before moving them, but you can transplant them into individual pots or directly to the permanent spot you want them after you see that they have rooted. Always take -lots- of cuttings so you’ll be sure to have some that are successful. Good luck!
Sherry
I live in Southern Idaho. We planted two Redtip Photinias last year. Neither one of them looks very good. They both have some new leaves on them. One is much thicker than the other one. Several of their branches look scraggly. Do I cut them off? We have a brand new house and a brand new yard. We really have no idea what we are doing.
Hi Sharon,
I’m not sure. Do they normally grow well in your area? Could they have been damaged by a harsh winter? I would maybe lightly trim them a little and see if they continue to sprout new leaves. Good luck, hope they start to grow well for you.
Hello! We planted 10 red tips along our back fence line for privacy and noise reduction from a road. The card on the bushes says to plant 10-15 feet apart. We planted them 10 feet apart and are wanting to have them as a hedge and let them get 10 feet or more taller. Did we plant them to far apart?
Brandi
Hi Brandi,
It will take several years (many years) for them to grow that wide. If you get impatient, you could always buy some more and put between them. :) I would plant them much closer together for a privacy hedge, but you may have much more patience than I do. :)
Sherry
I have 5 huge red tip bushes that are probably close to 20 ft tall and planted along our property line. They have obviously been here at our house for a while, even before we bought it. All of a sudden, the first three bushes have lost all of their leaves. We have had alot of unusual rain this last month. I think they do have the Entomosporium Leaf Spot disease after inspecting the leaves. Every leaf left is covered with it. We are gonna cut the leaves back and rake underneath, but is their anything else we can do? Will it grow back after it gets rid of all of the leaves? I don’t want to lose these huge plants , they are beautiful. T
I have 5 huge red tip bushes that are probably close to 20 ft tall and planted along our property line. They have obviously been here at our house for a while, even before we bought it. All of a sudden, the first three bushes have lost all of their leaves. We have had alot of unusual rain this last month. I think they do have the Entomosporium Leaf Spot disease after inspecting the leaves. Every leaf left is covered with it. We are gonna cut the leaves back and rake underneath, but is their anything else we can do? Will it grow back after it gets rid of all of the leaves? I don’t want to lose these huge plants (more like trees) they are beautiful. Please help!
Hi Rinette,
Sorry to hear about your redtips! Here is a link to an article about dealing with Leaf Spot — hope it helps:
Leaf Spot on Red Tips
Hello: I planted 3 red tip’s spaced apart about 4 feet. I planted them in May, 2009-they seem to show no growth at all. I have fed them with miracle gro fertilizer, planted them in rich soil and they just seem to be the same size. I have checked for spots and removed any leafs around the base. I have also clipped the lower branches. It looks so spindly and sick. I usually have a green thumb. What’s up?
Washington, DC
Hi Tonya,
I’m not sure. Maybe they just haven’t had time to get established? Be careful not to overwater them, and hopefully you’ll get some growth soon. Sorry I can’t be of more help.
We are planting these in our back yard, around a dough boy pool area to give privacy. In reading your notes, I am wondering about water on the shrubs. Our sprinklers run every day and will be hitting these plants on a daily basis. They are in the direct sun, with much heat (90’s to low 100’s). Will they be OK getting water on them?
Glenda
I have been trying to read up on these shrubs and front what I read, exposing them to as little water as possible is best. I keep reading about the leaf spot disease that develops on them so maybe,you should select a better shrub.I read that hollies are nice. If I do not see any progress with mine, I am going to remove the $30.00 plants-3 of them. What a waste. I tried to use the right soil,water only at the root and no growth.
Hope this helps a little.
Hi Glenda,
Tonya is right. They definitely will not be okay with water on the leaves continuously. See these links for more info about the leaf spot disease these shrubs are prone to:
http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/disease.cfm?RecordID=843
http://www.collierarbor.com/probPhotiniaLeafSpot.php
Sherry you are always very helpful. I try to read your notes and follow the advice. I must say, although the red tips are only 3 months old, they do not have spots and I check for those. I do not overwater and I only water the base. Thank you for your blog.
Tonya
Tonya, thank you. :)
I’m just sorry I can’t be of more help to you with your redtip. I have rooted and transplanted a lot of these shrubs, and sometimes some of them just seem slower to grow than the others, even though they all get the same care. Hopefully, yours will get established and start to grow soon.
Sherry
I have a 6ft chain-link fence around my yard. After checking into slats for privacy, and finding out the price would put me in the poor house, (I have over 400 ft of fence) I decided to plant photinias. I am looking for privacy and a sound barrier from a train behind my house. I intend to let them grow as large as they want, but I am not sure about the spacing. How far away from the fence, and how far apart. If they grow into the fence, will it lift it as it grows? I do have a large yard, but I don’t want to have to mow between the red-tip and the fence. Could you please help me before I get started planting.
Thank you, Dan
Hi Dan,
I would plant them at least 3 or 4 feet away from the fence, and about that far apart as well. Once they become established, they get really thick and the more you prune them, the fuller they will get. No, I don’t think they would lift up the fence. Good luck, hope your hedge does well.
Hello Sherry, my photinias are 25 years old and appear to be dying. Is this a life cycle or do they need better care? tom
Hi Tom,
Wow, 25 years old!
I just don’t know what could be wrong. Do they have red spots on the leaves? You might read the comments above and click on the links about leaf spot disease. If it’s not that, maybe try pruning them back hard in the spring and hopefully they will renew themselves. Sometimes the oldest wood on shrubs will start to die back and they need to be pruned to stimulate fresh, new growth. Good luck with yours, hope they recover.
Sherry
What fertilizer should I use on my photinia and how often should they be fertilized? I live in Maryland and we got a lot of rain last year and had some issues with spots on leaves. I hope they all make it thru the winter.
Thanks
Hi Marie,
Sorry I’m just now seeing your question. If you have spots, it is most likely the leaf spot disease instead of lack of fertilization. I don’t fertilize mine at all, just try to keep the ground underneath them cleared out and the branches thinned a bit for good air circulation. Good luck with yours, hopefully they will recover.
Hi – thanks for all of your wonderful information on photinias! We have a photinia hedge that has gotten to about 15′ tall. It’s extremely leggy, and unfortunately, it’s on the southern end of our property, so we really need more light. Can I cut these back severely – like to 2-4′ tall? I’m afraid they’ll just look like a bunch of sticks for a while. Is that okay for the plant? Will it grow back okay? We like the function of the photinia; our house is very close to our neighbors, so it does provide some privacy. But we’d really like to reshape it while gaining some sun back into our lot. Any advice?
Thanks!
Hi Lora,
If your shrubs are otherwise healthy then I see no reason why they couldn’t be cut back hard in the early spring. They will probably grow back three or four feet by the end of the summer. Yes, they probably will look bad for a while. :)
If you don’t want to cut them back so drastically, you could always start at the top and begin pruning back the branches until you see new growth at the bottom.
Hope this helps,
Sherry
Thanks Sherry! We took the plunge and cut the heck out of our hedge (It’s down to 2′, and most of it is stumps). I’ll let you know how it progresses.
Lora
Good luck with your shrubs Lora, hope they recover nicely.
I am about ready to drastically prune my Redtips as well. I moved in to my new home July 1, 2009, and have been trying to leave things alone until I can see what is naturally occurring on my half acre. I am in Nevada City, CA which is Zone 7…I just want to say how much I appreciate this website…I am learning a lot through everyone’s questions! Thanks!!!
You’re welcome, Catherine. I’m glad you are finding the post and comments useful.
Sherry,
I notice one of my 10 year old red tip that had dead leaves on it. Upon looking at it, I noticed that the bark has a series of holes in a row, about 16 – 20 inches off the ground. I check the other 10 plants, they have the same, just not as bad. These holes look alot like a pecan tree where the wood peckers have worked on them. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Hi Robert,
I don’t know for sure what it could be but it sounds like you have some sort of borer insect. Here’s a link I found with some info about borers:
Tree Borers
Sorry I can’t be of more help. Good luck with your shrubs.
-Sherry
Hi Sherry,
I read all the postings (Great info) but still have a few questions.
I live in San Jose, CA. . I planted my redtips about 5 years ago along my entire backyard fence line. I planted them about 3 feet apart. There are about 60 of them.
Most of them have now grown to about 12+ feet tall. Some half that. The ones that are half the size, I think it has to do with them not getting as much direct sunlight.
About 2/3 of them have created some density. But the remaining 1/3 is more stalky thin.
I have never pruned any of them. Dont really know the first thing about pruning.
Can you guide me on how I should look at each shrub from the perspective of pruning it. How?
I want to creat density along with height. I love the 12+ foot heights, and now I want them to be thick and dense for privacy/sound.
What would be the best fertilizer you recommend using, and at what times during the year?
Thanks in advance for your help,
Steve
Hi Steve,
Wow, that’s a lot of redtips! Yes, definitely the growth has to do with the amount of sun they get. The largest one I have is the one that gets the most sun.
All I can do is tell you my own experience about pruning. I just snip off 5 or 6 inches of each main branch, first in early spring and then two or three more times during the summer so I can get the red growth. You may want to cut out several inches of each branch to start, then wait until the new growth starts to darken and then prune a little more off of them. Since you want them thicker, I would do the pruning gradually, several times over the next few months.
As for fertilizing, I don’t put anything on mine, not even mulch. They’re in good soil though and don’t seem to need anything. I suppose something like Miracle-Gro would be good to feed them with, in spring and summer when they’re actively growing.
Hope this helps,
Sherry
Hi Sherry,
I’ve been following your site since July 2009 when I moved in to my new house in the foothills of the Sierra. I fell in love with this beautiful red tipped shrub which I had never seen before (lived at the beach for 25 years) and just want to say how much am learning from every ones questions and your answers. I have found several volunteer plants around my property and am getting ready to transplant some around the perimeter for privacy. They seem to be indestructible as they take the summer heat, snow and the occasional deer taking a nibble without any discernible damage. As soon as this latest storm passes I will be out there pruning the bottom branches for circulation AND just learned that the flowers can be pruned for more red and less offensive odor. Mine are far from the house so the smell is not a problem…but I love the red! Thanks for the great site!
Hi Catherine,
Thank you for your comments. I’m glad you are finding the site helpful. I’m no expert, I just happen to grow a few of these shrubs here and can relate my own experiences with them. I know a lot of people don’t care for the redtips — they -were- overplanted especially in the south years ago, and then when the redtip disease ruined so many of them… — but anyhow, I do like them and enjoy having them in my yard. You’re right, they do seem to take the heat etc very well.
Good luck with yours!
-Sherry
My red tips are really huge. They have never been pruned and have probably been here for 20 years. The bottom branches are low to the ground and have no leaves. When cutting grass, I get stabbed quite frequently. What a nuisance. They have been sprayed for the spotty leaves. My husband uses a pressure washer to spray to the top. What would be the easiest method to prune the branches from the bottom that protrude? There are at least 50 bushes to prune, and I could never do this by using those small hand-held pruning shears cutting one branch at a time. Would you recommend a small chain saw or hedge trimmers or is there something else out there that I could use? I’d like to cut them far enough up and back so as to get around with the riding lawn mower. I cut three acres (sometimes twice a week) and look like I’ve been in battle after I’m done. Would appreciate any advice.
Hi Sara,
Unfortunately I don’t know of an easy way to prune those bottom branches of your red tips. Depending on how big the branches are, it might be easier using hedge trimmers rather than hand pruners. Maybe just do a few each day until they’re done? Good luck — that’s a lot of shrubs to prune!
-Sherry
I planted some of the red tips last year and they are growing well but I planted them 2 ft. apart will that end of being a major issue? I want a good hedge in front of my house for privacy so thats why I did…. I am new to this gardening stuff…. and How can I make them grow faster can I do something to help with that?
~Tim
Hi Tim,
Sorry I didn’t see this post til now. Two ft apart is pretty close together, but when they get too thick you can always take out and transplant every other one. They grow very fast here and I don’t do anything but prune them a few times during the spring and summer to keep the red new growth coming. I try and keep them thinned enough to keep good air circulation through them and they are still plenty thick enough to create a privacy hedge. I also never mulch around them and keep the ground cleaned underneath them. Good luck with yours, I’m sure they will make a fine privacy hedge for you.
Sherry
Hi Sherry:
I live in zone 6 (Pennsylvania) I am looking for a privacy “hedge” to block out my neighbors hedge. I fell in love with the red tip. After reading all the questions, I wanted to ask you for your advice. My neighbor and I share a “land island”. Half is theirs…half is ours. At the back end of theirs, they planted 4 forsythias in a span of 15 feet (as a privacy fence). I want to plant the red tip in front of their forsythia’s, which would be the back end of our “land island”. It gets full sun from 1-7pm in the summer. Not much sun in the winter.
Do you think it will survive the zone 6 elements?
Will they have enough air flow?
How many do you think I should plant next to one another? I have like 10 feet to cover.
I was thinking 3 red tips and keep pruning them hard to keep them contained and from sprawling on “their” side of the land island.
What do ya think?
~Katherine
Hi Katherine,
I think they will probably survive in Zone 6. I’m in Zone 7a and they survive our winters fine here. The more sun they get, the more growth and the more ‘red’ you will have. Three red tips sounds good to me in a 10 ft. area. Definitely prune them often in spring and summer to keep them thick and red.
Sherry
Thanks Sherry for the quick answer.
Now I am torn…I really want them, but do know they will get black spot or disease. Almost everything else around us gets some kind of fungus. So, I don’t want to plant them and have them die. I would be upset.
I will have to think about it. I did see an oval leaf privet that I may entertain as well. It is very close to the red tip, but can survive in zone 6 and doesn’t matter what type or how much light.
Did I mention they would be growing under (or near) a pine tree? SO, I am afraid they will not get the air flow they deserve b/c of the forsythia’s and the pine tree.
Thanks for your advise!
Katherine
Hi Sherry,
I went for it ! I purchased 3 beautiful red tips. I went to like 5 different nursery’s. Ironically, the first nursery I went to and I went back like a month later. They are so healthy. I paid for them but need to pick them up. I will let you know how they work out. Thanks for your advice!
Katherine
You’re welcome Katherine. Hope yours thrive. :)
Does somebody know where to buy a bunch of these shrubs, like 40-60 pieces (wholesale) in Raleigh-Durham, Chapel Hill, NC area? I want to make the hedge of them, the shrubs are really beautiful Thanks.
Hi Natasha,
Sorry, I’m on the other end of the state. Hope you can find them in your area.
I have had my red tips for 1 year… and they are only about 2 – 2 1/2 feet, how much would you reccomend cutting them?
Hi Tim,
I would just snip off a couple of inches from each branch the first time, then do it again when they sprout new growth.
-Sherry
Hi
I planted some photinia shrubs to make a screen from the street in 2008. They are about 7-8 feet tall now, but very thin. I want them to be tall. I do not know if they are getting enough sun. (They get full evening sun) or if they need to be pruned back.
Will cutting them back help them grow thicker?
Is it a good time to cut them? They have already had the new red growth, but have not flowered yet.
Thanks
Hi Deborah,
Yes, pruning them will make them grow thicker. I prune mine several times throughout spring and summer. If you want the flowers, then don’t prune until after they bloom.
~Sherry
I just cut the heck out of the red tips. It is May 26th. I just thought they were to large. They were in a focal section. I prefer small schrub and my husband likes large. I cut them down to about 2 feet. They were probably about 6 feet. He is kind of upset and I would like to know how long it will take for leaves to come out of the sticks that are left to help the looks of them.
Hi Marilyn,
I don’t know what climate you are in, but I am in Northern California. I have a Photinia that was planted in the wrong location so I cut it down to the ground so I could move it. That was in November through a fairly harsh winter and a couple of feet of snow. It is now about 3 feet tall!…and I expect it will have a growth spurt as soon as it warms up. Hope that helps you! These are amazing plants!!
Thanks Catherine. Marilyn, I agree, you will probably be surprised at how fast they start growing again.
Sherri:
I transplanted my Red tips about 3 weeks ago. They arestunning and beautiful. They take the spotlight and are doing beautifully. However, they do not get as much sun as I would like, but I will cut back a few branches away from the pine tree that is hovering over them. I am extremely happy with them. They love the heat! And do not wilt like other bushes under those sonditions!
Sherry –
I planted two red tip photinias in April along a concrete drive way that gets lots of direct west sun so it gets tremendous heat during the summer. Half of the leaves on one of these plants was scorched brown so I pruned it back and sprayed it with fungicide thinking that would be best after pruning. Evidently that was wrong. Now all leaves are brown and I’m not sure what to do next?
Hi Vance,
Is the shrub still alive? If so and it has lost all it’s leaves, I would probably cut it way back, and maybe even move it to another area. I don’t think the fungicide would have harmed it, it’s probably the heat and sun as you mentioned. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. Good luck, hope you can save it.
Hi Sherry,
I have a 5 foot photinia which I bought and planted a year ago. It was maybe 3 feet tall when we planted it. It is a nice shape and color. I have pruned it a few times this summer, but I must admit I don’t know what I am doing. I have always intended to train it into a tree, but I can’t seem to find much information on the web about that (or at least I don’t think I understand it!) The few times I have pruned it, I have taken maybe 5 inches off the top making a small curve to the sides. I have also taken off some quite long branches from the bottom, thinking maybe that is how to train it to a tree. There are three main branches coming up from the mulch, and then they quickly branch off from there a bit, at which point they then have long shoots growing straight up to the top of the bush. In other words, there is much branching off at the bottom of the bush, and not much (except for where I have pruned) at the top. I guess my main question is, “How does this bush grow? Will those branches at the bottom stay at the bottom as the photinia grows, or do they shoot up so that those are the ones who will become the branches of the full grown tree?” I hope this makes sense. I am in north-western VA, and it is in a sunny location. THANKS in advance!!
Hi Ann,
No, the branches which are now at the bottom will stay at the bottom. The only way I know to prune it as a tree is to cut off all but the straightest trunk coming up out of the ground, and then every year, keep all the lower shoots pruned off of that main trunk, letting the top growth remain. It will take a few years of repeated pruning I think. (If the main trunk isn’t straight enough after you first prune it, you could always stake it for a year until it begins to grow straight.) Good luck with it.
Hope this helps,
Sherry
Excellent Site! I am learning a lot from the Questions and Answers.
Thanks Sue, glad you’re finding the comments helpful.
Just found this site. I just bought a beautiful Photinia, I am wondering if I can place it in a large pot, or do I have to plant it? Thanks so much. I am bookmarking your site.;)
Hi Ellen,
Well, if you had a big enough pot you could probably grow it in there for a while, but eventually, it would need to be planted. (I’m not sure what zone you’re in, so no idea if it would survive your winter in a pot.) You could try it and see, maybe keep it pruned like a shrub…?
Good luck with it, and thanks for visiting and bookmarking. Hope you’ll visit again. :)
Hello Sherry,
Our red tips have become tangled with ivy and mustang grape vines. Any tips on how to save the red tips and get rid of the vines? We live in North Texas near Dallas.
Hello Jennifer,
If it’s not possible to unwind and cut away the vines, you may have to severely prune the shrubs back. It might take a couple of years for them to renew themselves but they would probably come back thicker than ever. Good luck!
-Sherry
Hello, I have over watered my redtips and the leaves are turning yellow. Is there anything I can do to save them?
Thanks,
Dennis
Hi Dennis,
As long as they’re now draining okay and not just sitting there in waterlogged soil, they should recover in time. Prune off any limbs that are touching or area near the ground, remove any mulch or leaves so they get good air circulation. They might lose some foliage, but hopefully they will be okay. Good luck.
-Sherry
Sherry,
I am having the same problem as Dennis. I just planted 5 gallon shrubs and due to the triple digit temp. we are having, I watered them in the evening. Now, the leaves feel dry, are yellowing and have folded. On a positive note, I can see what looks like new growth at the top of the leaves. I have alot of clay in my soil, so I am checking the soil, and am waiting to water until the soil feels dry. Is there a chance they will pull out of this?
HI Sherry
I live in 7B (Oregon Coast) and my photinia has always done well until I forgot to prune it for a year and this spring it was VERY LEGGY. I was afraid to cut it back too much for fear of not leaving enough leaves for photosynthesis. I tried to root the trimmings and they did not rot, but they also did not root. Do I dare cut it way back this fall and hope for a bushier plant next spring?
Beverley
Hi Beverly,
I can only tell you what works for me, and I cut my shrubs back in very early spring. They start bushing out right away and need to be trimmed a couple more times during spring and summer. I haven’t pruned one this late in the year though, so I really can’t say how yours would do. (I suspect it would be fine though.) Sorry I can’t be of more help.,
Sherry
I have Red Robins on the side in sandy soil. For 4 years they’ve done good, last year we had an extreem drought, we watered every morniing. They seemed to be okey except 2 died. The others have new leaves but they are dying or brown at the end of the leaves. I am constantly getting new leaves but doing the same. We have had rain but not more than usual for this time of year. I don’t have spots on them. Nursery people said it was just getting new growth but should they be getting dead looking ends on the leaves? We do water the leaves some times. If I trim the leaves affected there would be none left. What should I do?
I live in Texas north west of Houston.
Hi Jackie,
I’m not an expert so I can’t say with certainty what is ailing your shrubs. I would think that watering them every day would be too much water though, even during a drought. Even in periods of dryness, I would only water my well-established photinias about once a week, and never wet the foliage, keep the branches trimmed off the ground so there will be good air circulation, little to no mulch, etc. (Lots of tips in the above comments and replies.)
New growth would not be dead looking, so I’m not sure what’s wrong with your shrubs — maybe try a fungicide, or see these links for more info about the leaf spot disease these shrubs are prone to:
http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/disease.cfm?RecordID=843
http://www.collierarbor.com/probPhotiniaLeafSpot.php
Good luck with yours,
Sherry
Hi Sherry,
My neighbor recent let me dig up one of her photinias about 3ft high we followed her instructions and dug about 12inchs out all the way around and about a foot and a half down, only cut through one or two roots. we dug out the main root ball by many plus inchs, i carried it directly from the site to the new hole and filled it in. it has been warm the last couple of days and i watered plenty, but over the ttwo days the leaves have become dry and wilty. I am very worried that I’ll kill this beautiful shrub, but I dont know what I’m doing wrong. It went directly from full sun old site to full sun new site. Please help, I don’t want to kill it!!!!
Thanks,
Nicole
Hi Nicole,
Shade it with something for a few days. It might take a while for it to get over being transplanted, but should recover. (You could also prune it a little, that might help.)
Good luck,
Sherry
Hi Sherry, I have a friend who loves the foliage of the photinia and the screening privacy but is allergic to the flowers. Could you recommend something similar. Hardy, frost and drought tolerant, thick and can be shaped as a tall hedge for privacy? Thanks, Deb
Hi Deb…Don’t know where you are located, but if you can grow Photinia, you can also grow English Laurel of Privet Both are fast growing hedges. I prefer the English Laurel with it’s shiny green leaves.
Hi Debbie
I have three Red Tip Photinias that were planted three months ago. The weather here in SouthWest Utah is very hot and dry. The plants are on a drip system. Ten minutes, every other day. They are not growing fast and now some of the leaves are turning brown starting with about one third of the leaf turninig dark brown rapidly. I’ve seen pictures of the fungus and it does not look the same. Any ideas?
nelson,
I’m no expert, so I can’t know for sure what’s ailing your redtips, but, if they were mine, I would water them deeply every week or so ( for much longer than ten minutes ) until they’re well established. Watering very lightly very often will force the roots to grow upward towards the surface to try and get at the water — deep watering will force the roots downward, which is what you want. That’s my best guess, hope it helps,
-Sherry
how much do red tips 12 feet tall would cost?
That would depend on where you live…if they are indigenous to your area…and if you are digging and planting yourself…or hiring someone to do it or you. Twelve feet is a pretty good sized hedge. I would plan on a bit of money regardless of the answer to the questions above. It sounds lovely!
Great site and information Sherry! Have you any experience with the dwarf variety ‘Little Red Robin’? I’m in the western UK and see lots of regular Red Robin planted as shrubs and hedges doing well. I’m looking at planting LRR as a short hedge (4′-5′) in very chalky poor soil (with good drainage and sun) towards the front of our property (behind a fence we have built). Airflow should be good – as we get lots of blown rubbish gathering behind our fence!
I’m looking at buying them in 2L or 3L (around 1′ high) pots and planting them with good compost in March (after the last of our frosts) around 6-12 inches apart in 2 staggered rows. Will have around 100 plants! Aiming for a fairly thick well established low hedge (as long as my puppy doesn’t dig them up!). Have very little experience growing things, but will let you know how things go! Any tips before I start digging the ground ready?
Hi Sherry,
Can you plant a new, healthy photinia in the same place a diseased (leaf spot) one had been removed without affecting the new plant?
Hi Ann,
I’m not sure if it would be safe or not. For me, I would be afraid to plant redtips there again, afraid that the disease spores might be in the soil.. I just don’t know for sure though, sorry I can’t be of more help.
-Sherry
Hi Ann,
I wouldn’t plant anything where there is a horticultural disease without first testing the soil. My red tips seem to endure a lot. I live in the Sierra foothills in Northern California. Do you have a local nursery or Master Gardener group who could advise you on your soil? They are very hardy shrubs, for sure…wind, drought, snow and deer…but soil disease can be devastating if you don’t know what you are dealing with. If you live in California, there are many resources for testing your soil. If you live elsewhere in the States, perhaps I can help you find a resource.
HI Ann, i am looking to cover a 200′ Fence for privacy and would like some advise of where i can buy red tips in bulk without breaking my pocket. i think i would need about 50 given your prior advise on spacing. is it better to buy online or at a local nursery? and what size plant should i purchase for durability and cost efficiency?
Well my Little Red Robin are almost a year old! We planted them last year in March, but with the cold long winter they had a couple of frosts and very cold dry weather after planting… Then a long hot dry summer (I took pity on them and watered them a couple of times a week for ~3 months). In total we planted 180 in 2 staggered rows 8″ apart. Had 1 or 2 losses and a few gaps appear which I had a few plants ready for. They have done well and are already double the size when planted (less than 12″, now around 20″) and after this winter being very mild I’m on the lookout for losses to vine weevil grubs! Had lots of leaf notches through last summer which they appear to have recovered from fantastically. I found a local ‘cash and carry’ so got them at a great price!
Hi! My Redtip photinia display pale pink tips for new growth. Could this be a variation of Redtip photinia?
Hi Leon, yes I think so, they may look pinkish in color.
My red tips are 11′ tall. moma wants then 6′ tall. When and how do i need to top them off? I’m lost, please help me…..
kentack, I would definitely wait til early spring to do it, I usually prune mine in late March or early April. Yours will not look good right after pruning, but will soon fill in with new growth.
Hi, I plan on planting about 4/5 red tips about 6 feet apart from one another. How much space should I give them from my fence? I was thinking about 2 feet, but wanted to get feedback from others.
Hi Sherry, So glad i found this site, lots of great info :) I have a row of photinia which i am trying to grow as a privacy hedge between myself and my next door neighbours front gardens. I’d prefer it to grow tall, rather than wide. If it grows too wide it will obstruct my pathway. I just pruned the sides of the plants – I trimmed off all of the branches that were “falling” out into into the pathway, but left the tops. Is this the right way to encourage growth upwards instead of outwards? Or do i need to tie it up in some way?? I saw some of my nieghbours have bundled up the outward branches with rope, i guess to try and encourage upward growth. Any advice is much appreciated! Thanks.
Hi Kate,
I would lightly prune it every year, keeping the sides off your path, fertilize it at least once a year, keep the leaves that fall raked out from under them (keep it clean underneath, make sure they have good air circulation). That’s exactly all we do to ours and they are 16’+ tall now, took a few years to get them that big. You shouldn’t have to tie up any branches. Hope this helps,
Sherry