U.S. National Arboretum Elite Plants

Gardens Unit

U.S. National Arboretum, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 3501 New York Ave., N.E., Washington, DC 20002

The U.S. National Arboretum presents 'Blush' and 'Burgundy', two of the first

pink-flowered selections of Loropetalum to be brought to the United States.

With flowers to ''knock your socks off,'' these neon lights of the witchhazel family will

delight you with their early April bloom. Whether featured in a container or in the

landscape, 'Blush' and 'Burgundy' will light up your landscape.

Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum

'Blush' and 'Burgundy'

'Burgundy'

'Blush'
U.S. National Arboretum Elite Plants

Gardens Unit

U.S. National Arboretum: www.ars-grin.gov/na/

'Blush' and 'Burgundy' Chinese Fringe-flower

August 1999

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Botanical Name: Loropetalum chinense Oliv. var. rubrum Yieh 'Blush'

(NA 62904; PI 572309)

Loropetalum chinense Oliv. var. rubrum Yieh 'Burgundy'

(NA 62905; PI 572310)

Family: Hamamelidaceae

Hardiness: U.S.D.A. Zones 7b-9

Development: Two selections of Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum were obtained from

Nihonkaki Nursery, Kawaguchi City, Japan, by former Arboretum Director,

John L. Creech, in September, 1989, at the request of Horticulturist Sylvester G.

March. They were among the first L. chinense var. rubrum introduced into the

United States and were subsequently named 'Blush' and 'Burgundy'. Over 15

different introductions of this particular pink-flowered variety of Loropetalum

have been established in North America since the late 1980's. Some of these

were obtained from the same sources in Japan and may be identical or closely

related to 'Blush' and 'Burgundy'.

Significance: Both 'Blush' and 'Burgundy' are unique, pink-flowered forms of the typically

white-flowered species, Loropetalum chinense. The striking color of the flowers

of this evergreen member of the witchhazel family has drawn attention to this

under-utilized species.

Description: Height and Width: Ultimate height and width at maturity not yet known.

'Burgundy' is reported to have reached a height of 14 feet. 'Blush' is more

compact and may reach 6 feet in height and 4–5 feet wide.

Habit: Evergreen or semi-evergreen (depending on U.S.D.A. hardiness zone),

robust, vase-shaped to rounded shrub to small tree: A supposition from observation of young plant material in the ground.

Foliage: 'Blush': new leaves bronze-red, maturing to medium olive green;

rounded, 2.5 inches long, 1.5 inches wide; leathery with a ciliate margin.

'Burgundy': new leaves red-purple, older foliage dark reddish purple to dark

olivegreen; 1.25–2.25 inches long, 1 inch wide; leathery with a ciliate margin.

Foliage of 'Burgundy' may exhibit an orange red coloration in hardiness zones

where it is not completely evergreen.

Flowers: Flowers of both cultivars are a shocking pink ('Blush' RHS red-purple

61B; 'Burgundy' RHS red-purple 67B), each flower consisting of 4 strap-like

petals, each petal approximately 3/32 inch wide and 1 3/16 inches long. 'Blush'

has 5–10 flowers per cluster while 'Burgundy' has 4–7 flowers per cluster.

Fruit: A woody capsule; sparsely produced.

Culture: Prefers, moist but well-drained acid soils with high organic matter content.

Grows well in full sun or partial shade but flowers best in full sun. Withstands

pruning or shearing well. Plants may be evergreen to semi-evergreen in Zone 7

and cold injury may occur at temperatures of 0 to 5°F.

Propagation: Roots easily by softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings under mist, 1000–3000 ppm

IBA, in 4–6 weeks.

Landscape Use: Specimen, mass planting, sheared evergreen hedge, container plant on patio,

deck, or in greenhouse.

Availability: Readily available from wholesale and retail nurseries.