(original theme music by Sébastien Busco and Marie M)
NewsJardinTV, the channel 100% passionate about plants, gardens, botany, nature and gardening, offers you issue 461 of its show "Le Quotidien du Jardin", produced by Nicole and Patrick Mioulane.
Africa2 asks us the following question:
What do you think of photinia for making a hedge? We see them everywhere, isn't there a risk of degeneration or disease on this shrub whose red leaves I like...
Photinias are excellent shrubs for hedges, but these days we advise against creating single-species hedges, as a mixture of species is not only more ecological, but also more aesthetic and more sustainable in terms of resistance to pests.
Photinia (34 species, Rosaceae family) are rarely cultivated in their botanical forms, but here are the two evergreen species that are at the origin of the most appreciated hybrids today:
• Photinia glabra, the Japanese photinia, native to eastern Asia (China, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand), is an evergreen shrub 2 to 3 m high, whose leaves 4 to 8 cm long narrow and deeply cut are born red-bronze. The numerous flowers, in corymbs 5 to 10 cm in diameter, bloom in May in a pretty pinkish white, which gives off a hawthorn scent.
• Photinia serratifolia, the Chinese photinia or Taiwanese photinia forms a tree 4 to 12 m high, bearing leathery leaves 15 cm long, slightly toothed, of a bright red when young. The white spring flowering from late May to July, emits an odor similar to that of human sperm
The red fruits of 1 cm in diameter, which resemble those of hawthorns, ripen in autumn and survive the winter, are a source of food for various species of birds, in particular thrushes and starlings which, not digesting the seeds, allow them to propagate by being found in the droppings.
• ‘Pink Crispy’: is a compact cultivar (2 m) with strongly toothed leaves, which are born bright pink, then evolve into dark green variegated with light green
• Photinia x fraseri: is a natural hybrid between the two species previously presented, which was discovered in the American Fraser nurseries, in 1940. It is a large bushy, bushy and rounded shrub which measures 3 to 4 m high and wide at 20 years. Hardiness: -15 °C in well-drained soil.
The evergreen, alternate, oblong leaves, 10 to 15 cm long, are born a beautiful shiny purple-red, before becoming dark green.
In May, the small white flowers with five petals are gathered in rounded corymbiform panicles, approximately 10 to 15 cm in diameter.
• ‘Red Robin’ is the most common cultivar appreciated for the bright red color of its young leaves. ‘Little Robin’ is similar but very compact (80 cm) and can be grown in pots. ‘Chico’ is even more dwarf (50 cm)
• ‘Bâton Rouge’ • ‘Carré Rouge’, • ‘Decora’, are quite close to ‘Red Robin’
There are original forms:
• ‘Louise’ and ‘Pink Marble’ or ‘Cassini’ with young leaves variegated with pink, then cream in summer
Photinias are among the least demanding shrubs in terms of maintenance. Plant them in the sun, sheltered from cold winds, in good, well-loosened garden soil, preferably not very calcareous, well enriched with organic matter, the color of the young leaves being more intense.
Prune the photinia in July, after flowering, in order to stimulate new growth with leaves that will appear red-bronze from the beginning of September. The subjects trained in hedges will be left free for half the year in order to enjoy the flowering. Then, you can shape their silhouette as you wish.
Photinia is propagated by sowing fresh seeds that germinate in 10 days with a high percentage. Half-ripe cuttings in August/September are used to faithfully propagate the cultivars.
Photinia leaves are toxic due to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides. When the leaves are chewed, these compounds are released and quickly converted into hydrogen cyanide (HCN) which blocks cellular respiration. Ruminants are easily poisoned by the leaves of Photinia serratifolia.
Thank you for following us. We hope that this video interlude has interested you and that you have had a pleasant time with us. We invite you four times a week for a new show: "LE QUOTIDIEN DU JARDIN". It's on NewsJardinTV and nowhere else!
In issue 462 we will answer the following question:
What do you think of the idea of planting an acacia in my small garden to provide shade and enjoy its flowers that I love to eat in fritters?