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Loropetalum chinense is commonly known as the Chinese Fringe Flower. It takes its name from the Greek word ‘loron’ meaning strap and ‘petalon’ meaning petal. The tassel-like flowers are similar to the closely related witch-hazel and consist of slender strap-shaped petals.
Loropetalum ‘Plum Gorgeous’
Colourful hedge of Loropetalum ‘Plum Gorgeous’
Loropetalums are popular ornamental plants grown for their clusters of flowers and horizontal branching which gives them a distinctive oriental feel. There are many forms, ranging from those with white to pale yellow flowers and green foliage through to pink flowering variety with deeper bronze and red foliage.
Whilst there are numerous varieties to choose from in garden centres, our pick was bred right here in Australia. Bred by the innovative horticultural team at Plant Growers Australia (PGA), this new selection brings together many of the desired characteristics of this genus.
Loropetalum ‘Plum Gorgeous’ performs well in full sun to part shade, is versatile in application from informal hedging through to containers and has a compact growing habit. In fact, ‘Plum Gorgeous’ is much more compact that most other loropetalums on the market and also has a more rounded and even shape.
With its branching structure, this is a perfect choice if you’ve got an oriental themed garden. They look great around the base of a garden sculpture to create that little bit of Asian inspiration.
Best of all – and the characteristic from which it takes its great name – is the deep plum coloured foliage which it maintains all year round. A common complaint of loropetalum coloured-leaf cultivars is that the deep foliage colour is often lost in the summer months however ‘Plum Gorgeous’ does very well at retaining its deep hues all year round.
In autumn and spring, and even into the summer months, Loropetalum ‘Plum Gorgeous’ will reward you with bright displays of vibrant raspberry coloured tassel flowers. The flowers will cause your visitors to ask ‘What’s that plant with the bright pink flowers?’
Loropetalum ‘Plum Gorgeous’
Grab a few of this particular variety if you are after that real variation in foliage in your garden. ‘Plum Gorgeous’ works really well planted against lime green plants as the colours contrast so nicely. Right now is a great time to plant them too.
Thanks for the great tip and idea for new pink/red in the garden ….. love the sweet pink tassles …. think I’ll call it the strippers plant.
That would have been a great marketing name Julie!
I’ve seen that this is an excellent plant in Sydney. The foliage on the older Loropetalum cvs reverts to dark green through much of the summer but this one stays much more ‘plummy’. It also has a more compact habit where the other cultivars tend to throw long water shoots through summer and autumn.
How does it do in cold climates, Amanda?
Hi Helen,
Generally speaking they have performed well. We have them growing well in Tassie and Victoria across a range of locations. In Canberra they start to suffer when it drops below -4, losing their leaves but then they have recovered afterwards. They only real concern has been the combination of high altitude and cold which they don’t thrive in.
I live in Charleston, SC and in early December we had a large amount of landscaping installed, including ten 3-gallon lorepedulum along a fence line. We were advised it was a good time to plant. We have had a few nights of blustery weather in the low to mid twenties since we had them installed. We did try to cover them but several look scraggly and have lost a lot of their leaves. Will they bounce back in the spring? I know I am very late to this conversation but appreciate any advice you can offer!
Hi Julie, Wow I didn’t know that Charleston got quite that cold. While I’ll also pass your question on to Amanda for her opinion, I think it likely that they will be OK and re-leaf in the spring. Loropetalum are pretty tough plants. I have one that I let dry out badly in the pot before I got around to planting it and it lost a lot of its leaves. I soaked the rootball and planted it anyway and although it’s taken 9 months, it’s now looking fantastic, has quadrupled in size and is growing strongly. Hope you don’t get any more freezing weather – regards Catherine (Editor GardenDrum)