Family: Hamamelidaceae
Common name: Chinese fringe flower, Fringe flower, Strap flower, Loropetalum
The Chinese fringe flower is a beautiful large shrub or small tree, ideal for home gardens, with their copper and red-hued foliage and frilly flowers. They are native to Japan and China, and can grow well in a range of weather conditions from tropical to temperate countries.
Tree Characteristics
These are small trees that only grow 2-3 meters tall with a bushy, rounded crown. They could have a single stem or multiple stems growing from the base, helping the tree spread its foliage quickly.
The stem is erect and well-branched with multiple horizontal branches. Stem of the Chinese fringe flower is brown with a reddish or purple tint in cultivars with similar-colored foliage.
When these plants are grown in pots, they can be pruned well to keep them as a well-rounded shrub.
Chinese fringer flower leaves are small, oval in shape with a glossy texture. They range in color from deep pink when the leaves are young, to deep red or even greenish-red when they mature. There are variants with green leaves, and also variegated ones.
The red foliage variant is more popular with gardeners since they draw attention with their variety of leaf colors from pink, to bronze-red, to deep red as the leaves mature. Chinese fringe flower leaves are 3-4 cm long with a slightly abrasive surface and smooth margins.
In addition to the foliage, the flowers of this tree are all well-loved. They are unique in shape with long, narrow petals that make them look spidery or fringe-like, giving the plant its name. Each petal is 2-3 cm long and each flower has over 15 petals bending and arching in different directions.
These flowers come in different shades like pink, red, burgundy, or white, depending on the cultivar. They are also fragrant, adding to the charm and appeal of the plant for humans and pollinators alike.
When the plant blooms profusely during the summer months, they become the show-stoppers in your garden as the plant bursts into pink confetti.
Chinese fringe flowers also produce small, inconspicuous fruits that are capsules containing seeds. They are not particularly ornamental and are not noticeable in the flurry of flowers.
Gardening Tips
Chinese fringe flower plants are very low-maintenance and can be incorporated into home gardens, parks, or landscape designs to bring in some color and interest. They need good sunlight for most part of the day for the colors to develop well.
Plant them in a sunny location with well-drained, loamy soil. Water the plant regularly till they are established in the soil, and also during peak summer months.
They are sufficiently drought-tolerant to be completely left alone during most part of the year, requiring very little care and attention.
Pruning has to be done after the flowering season to remove the spent flowers and also to keep the plant bushy. Fertilize once or twice a year just before spring with a combination of fertilizers like compost, bone meal, neem cake, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus additives.
Chinese fringe flower plants are not very susceptible to pest attacks, but young leaves can be affected by aphids if they are not monitored closely.
Some of the most loved cultivars are Pizazz, Ruby’ Burgundy, Fire Dance, Dazzle, and many many more – as you can see, the red-foliage ones are more popular than the ones with green foliage and white flowers.
Uses of Chinese Fringe Flower
These plants are mostly grown for their ornamental qualities – their beautiful red-burgundy leaves and pink flowers, which also attract pollinators like bees and butterflies into the garden.
Chinese fringe flower plants have some medicinal uses in the treatment of respiratory infections, wounds, cough, and dysentery. As always, this comes with a warning that no part of any plant should be used as food or medicine without expert advice, since most plants have toxicity to varying degrees.
Chinese fringe flower plants make excellent hedge plants because they can be trimmed into desired shapes. And the color of the new leaves can give you a burning red hedge around your flower beds.
Propagation
Propagation is through seeds and stem cuttings.
Mature seeds sowed in moist, well-drained soil can germinate in a few days, but this method is slower.
Softwood cuttings taken in late spring or summer can take root when planted in moist soil quite easily, making it a better method of propagation.
Photographed at: Kings Flora Organic Farm Resort, Wayanad
