Photinia Hedging

More Information on Photinia Hedging

The brilliant foliage of Photinia hedging is its proudest selling point. The new shoots start to appear as early as February and continue their display throughout the spring months into summer, often making successive bursts of colourful growth later in the season. 

As the new evergreen growth ripens the colour changes through shades of bronze and eventually dark green. Older Photinia plants and hedges will produce attractive clusters of white flowers in the Spring that are occasionally followed by small red fruits. Photinia hedging is never boring to look at, a hedging plant for all seasons. 

Types of Photinia Hedging

We stock an array of Photinia hedging options here at Hopes Grove Nurseries, all with slightly different qualities. Here is an overview of some of the most popular types: 

• Photinia Red Robin Hedging is the most popular variety, ideal for hedges from 1.2-2.5 metres tall.
• Photinia Little Red Robin Hedging is a dwarf version with even brighter red new growths, making a delightful small evergreen shrub up to around a metre in height. It can also be used for a very colourful small decorative hedge.
• Photinia Camilvy Hedging is arguably the most vibrant of Photinia hedging, a true showstopper in any garden. 
• Photinia Carre Rouge Hedging is a hardy variety with firm branches that does not require too much maintenance.
• Photinia Dynamo Red Hedging is a naturally lush and bushy Photinia hedging variety that holds its shape well, making it a great ornamental hedge. 
• Photinia Louise Hedging is an eye-catching Photinia Hedging variety, with uniquely mottled leaves that shine green, cream, red and pink. 

To learn more about these Photinia hedging varieties, visit their pages. 

Uses for Photinia Hedging

Photinias can be grown as individual shrubs in beds and borders, these glossy-leaved evergreen hedging plants are great for bringing height and structure to the garden all year. They will also make very colourful evergreen hedging plants – although not the densest of hedges, they are certainly the most decorative.

Photinia Hedge Spacing

By ensuring your Photinia hedge spacing is correct, will help your new hedging plants to thrive and have the space needed to grow. Photinia hedge spacing is dependent on how dense you would like your hedge to be. For single row hedging, plant about 60cm to 90cm apart but for a much denser hedge, smaller plants can be planted up to 30cm apart. 

If you are planting a double row hedge, Photinia plants should be in staggered rows. Plant anywhere between 90cm to 120cm and leave 60cm to 90cm in-between the rows. If you ensure the plants are staggered this will become a dense hedge which is great as a barrier and for privacy. 

When deciding on spacing, take into consideration how much you intend on pruning. Frequent pruning of Photinia will encourage a denser hedge.

Ideal Planting Conditions for Photinia Hedging

Photinia hedges are a hardy and unfussy shrub. They will grow in any soil that is well drained, including chalky soil. They don’t like planting conditions in full shade, but thrive in both full sun and partial shade. 

When first planting your Photinia hedges, try to avoid exposed locations (or use a windbreak until they are well-established). Photinia hedging is most vulnerable when it’s young, so this will be less of a problem when the shrubs are mature. 

Be mindful of extreme weather too. New shoots can occasionally be damaged by hard spring frosts and harsh winds, occasionally shedding their leaves, but they generally bounce back well and produce healthy new growth after. 

To learn more about planting Photinia hedges, read our guide on How to Plant a Hedge. 

Note: All our Photinia hedging plants are grown in pots to minimise root disturbance and ensure successful establishment. Some suppliers sell them as root ball plants which are lovely and bushy when planted, but if the weather is unkind in the first few months after planting they can shed very many leaves indeed and the effect is lost.

Care Tips for Photinia Hedging

While Photinia hedge plants don’t need a lot of care, handling the fundamentals – like watering, feeding and pruning – really well is necessary to keep them healthy long-term. 

For example, Photinia hedges should be pruned twice a year, in early spring and late summer and can be trimmed a little more frequently over the growth season (which will result in a fresh crop of new red shoots soon after). The plants can also be left as a more informal rounded hedge with just the occasional reduction in height and width. Learn more about pruning with our When to Prune Photinia knowledge base page.

See our guide to Growing Photinia Red Robin for more care tips, as the advice there is universal to most Photinia hedging varieties. We also have a guide to the most common pests, diseases and problems with Photinias in case you’ve spotted any warning signs