Red tip photinia (Photinia x fraseri) is a popular broadleaf evergreen shrub that is prized for its beautiful foliage. It is also known as Fraser photinia and gets its common name from the striking red color of its new leaves and shoots If you’re wondering how fast red tip photinia grows, the answer is quite fast! Keep reading to learn more about the growth rate and size potential of this versatile shrub
Overview of Red Tip Photinia Growth Rate
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Red tip photinia is considered a fast growing shrub. It can grow over 2 feet per year when conditions are optimal.
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During the spring growing season, it’s normal to see 1-2 feet of new growth.
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In ideal settings, this shrub can grow up to 3 feet annually.
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Mature size in 10 years can be 8-15 feet tall and wide though older plants may reach 20 feet tall.
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The vigorous growth rate makes it well suited for hedges and screens.
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Too much growth can lead to legginess, so annual pruning is important.
Factors That Impact Growth
While red tip photinia grows quickly in general, there are some factors that affect its growth rate:
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Sunlight – Full sun exposure encourages the fastest growth. Partial shade slows growth somewhat.
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Soil – Well-draining soil with a pH between 6.5-7 allows optimal growth. Heavy clay soils will stunt development.
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Water – Consistent weekly watering is needed for vigorous growth, especially during the first 2 years. Drought stunts growth.
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Temperature – Warm zones 7-9 are best. Growth will be slower in cooler climates.
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Pruning – Annual pruning concentrates growth into remaining branches. Lack of pruning results in leggy, open plants.
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Fertilizer – Applying a balanced organic fertilizer in early spring bolsters growth.
Growth Habit
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Red tip photinia has an upright, vase-shaped form with arching branches.
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It exhibits strongly apical growth, meaning vertical growth is concentrated at the branch tips.
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Lower branches tend to droop downward as the shrub ages.
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Proper pruning helps maintain a more compact, dense shape.
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Left unpruned, red tip photinia becomes sparse with long, leggy branches.
Strategies for Controlling Growth
If red tip photinia is growing too vigorously for your landscape design, you can slow it down:
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Plant in partial shade instead of full sun.
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Allow the soil to dry between waterings.
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Prune annually to remove up to one-third of new growth.
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Use a slow-release fertilizer only when soil is deficient.
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Train as a small tree by removing lower branches.
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Choose a dwarf cultivar like ‘Little Red Robin’.
Growth Rate Compared to Other Shrubs
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Red tip photinia grows significantly faster than boxwood, azalea, and camellia shrubs.
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It grows at a similar fast rate as Indian hawthorn and some juniper varieties.
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It grows slower than extremely fast growers like bamboos and vitex.
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evergreen shrubs with moderate growth rates similar to red tip photinia include oleander, yew, and laurels.
Tips for Managing Rapid Growth
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Site carefully, allowing enough room for maturity size.
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Prune annually to shape. Remove up to one-third of new growth.
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Use as a hedge or screen to maximize the growth habit.
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Avoid excessive fertilization which can boost growth even more.
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Monitor for signs of disease and treat problems early.
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Remove suckers unless propagated plants are desired.
Achieving a Mature Red Tip Photinia
With its fast growth rate, red tip photinia can reach mature sizes within 5-10 years if properly cared for. Allow enough space for it to thrive without excessive pruning. Trim strategically to enhance its gracefully arching form. Fertilize and water carefully to avoid disease.This stunning shrub will reward you with lasting beauty, easy care, and always-interesting foliage!
Red Tip Photinia (Photinia x fraseri)
Leaves: Evergreen leaves are oval in shape and 2¾ to 4 inches long. New growth is bright red. The color lasts two to four weeks before maturing to green.
Flowers and Fruit: In the middle of spring, small white clusters of flowers with a bad smell show up, and then red fruits that look like berries follow.
Size It is a moderate to fast growing plant.
Red tip photinia is a very tough and vigorous plant that can grow in almost any soil (except very wet ones), but it does best in rich, well-drained soil. It prefers full sun to partial shade. Good air circulation is a must.
Landscape Use: Red tips were often planted too close together to allow enough air flow, which made them more likely to get leaf spot. They were often used to make tall hedges. Entomosporium leaf spot is very likely to affect red tip photinia, so it shouldn’t be used as a hedge.
Entomosporium leaf spot, which is caused by the fungus Entomosporium maculatum, is a very bad disease for red tips. Early symptoms consist of small, circular, red spots on both the upper and lower surfaces of new leaves. On heavily diseased leaves, the spots unite to form larger, maroon blotches. Mature leaves develop dark brown or gray spots surrounded by reddish purple rings. Eventually, the leaves will fall off. Repeated leaf drop over several years along with other problems often results in plant death.
The fungus is most active during fall and spring months when weather is cool and rainy. It doesn’t take long for fungal spores to spread, so healthy plants can usually stay healthy as long as they are away from other red tips.
Cultural Control:
- Prune red tips in the winter when they are dormant. Cutting back during the growing season will make new growth, which is easy for the fungus to attack, grow. Mature leaves are more resistant to leaf spot.
- Pick up and throw away fallen leaves, and get rid of any infected plant matter. Cover any leaves that were missed with new mulch around the plants. These actions lower the amount of fungus that is around in the spring, which means that there are fewer infections.
- Provide excellent air circulation. Most of the time, this means cutting back a few plants in a hedge.
- Avoid wetting the leaves when watering. Splashing water spreads the fungus.
- Stay away from fertilizers in the summer that will help plants grow new leaves late in the season.
To control a disease chemically, use a fungicide as soon as you see a sign of it or when new growth starts. Do this again every 7 to 14 days. Be sure to follow the directions on the label. The best way to control Entomosporium leaf spot, though, is to start using fungicides as soon as the new leaves appear and keep doing so until the leaves are fully grown in early June. Then, applications should be made when conditions favor disease development (immediately following rainy periods). Fungicides do not be applied during hot, dry periods.
Fungicides labeled for Entomosporium leaf spot control contain one of the three active ingredients:
Chlorothalonil:
- Bonide Fung-onil Multi-purpose Fungicide
- Ferti-lome Broad Spectrum Landscape & Garden Fungicide
- GardenTech Daconil Fungicide
- Hi-Yield Vegetable, Flower, Fruit, & Ornamental Fungicide
- Ortho MAX Garden Disease Control Concentrate
- Southern Ag Liquid Ornamental & Vegetable Flowable Fungicide
- Tiger Brand Daconil
Propiconazole:
- Banner Maxx Fungicide
- Bonide Infuse Systemic Disease Control
- Bonide Infuse Systemic Disease Control Lawn & Landscape Ready-to-Spray
- Ferti-lome Liquid Systemic Fungicide II
- Quali-Pro Propiconazole 14.3 Fungicide
Myclobutanil:
- Ferti-lome F-Stop Lawn & Garden Fungicide
- Monterey Fungi-Max
- Spectracide Immunox Multi-Purpose Fungicide Concentrate
This disease is very difficult to control once plants are severely infected. Replace your plants with a different type of plant every one to two weeks if you don’t want to spray them. See Red Tip Substitutes below for ideas.
Japanese Photinia (Photinia glabra)
Leaves: Evergreen leaves are long and oval in shape and 1½ to 3½ inches long. New growth is bronzy-red.
Flowers and Fruit: In mid to late spring, small white clusters of flowers with a bad smell show up. They are followed by red fruits that look like berries and turn black later on. Flowers are smaller and appear later than those of red tip photinia.
Size
Culture: See Red Tip Photinia.
Landscape Use: See Red Tip Photinia.
Diseases: Entomosporium leaf spot is very likely to affect Japanese photinia, so it shouldn’t be used as a hedge.
How to Grow Red Tip Photinia Fast
FAQ
How do you make red tip photinia grow faster?
How far apart do you plant red tip photinia for hedge?
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Plant Type:
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Woody shrub
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White/red and green
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Spacing:
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5-8 feet
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Well-draining
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Planting Depth:
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Same as root ball (transplants)
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Bees, birds, and other pollinators
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Time to Maturity:
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2 years
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Hedges, specimen trees, privacy plantings
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Height:
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12-15 feet
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Rosaceae
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What is the fastest growing Photinia?
What is the lifespan of a Photinia?