What's This Small Tree - Green With Bright Red New Growth?

19 years ago

I moved to Abbeville LA last week and there are a series of eight or nine small threes or shrubs in the back yard in a row between my yard and my neighbor's. I've taken some photos and posted them on my website in the hopes someone here can tell me what it is.

They appear to be somewhat evergreen and the new growth is a bright red color and there are a number of clusters of flower buds with tiny white flowers just now starting to come into bloom.

I took several cuttings this morning and placed them in a bowl of water. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Once I know the scientific name, or at least a common name, then I can Google for it and find out more about its growing requirements.

Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: What's This Shrub?

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Comments (4)

lavinton
19 years ago
Welcome to Louisiana ........My guess is Red Tip Photinia..I could be wrong as I do not have any in my yard )
If it is..... lots of imformation if you to a search on the forum.....
....I read this recently :Ten years ago, one of the most popular shrubs in the South was the Red-tip Photinia (Photinia fraseri). Everybody wanted this handsome evergreen shrub and it was widely grown by Southern nursery growers for use in both commercial and residential landscapes. Red-tip is a wonderful, large, evergreen shrub with attractive foliage and showy white flowers. Its claim to fame is brilliant red new foliage that appears in the spring. Nevertheless, in the last 10 years or so, Red-tip has gone from the top of the list to the bottom due to intense pressure from a devastating fungal disease.

Red-tip is highly susceptible to the fungal pathogen known as Entomosporium that causes leaf spots and ultimately defoliation. The disease has all but eliminated Red-tip from the list of recommended shrubs for Southern landscapes. In fact, the disease is so widespread that one plant pathologist jokingly explained that there are two types of Red-tip, those that have the disease and those that are going to get it! So, even though newly planted Red-tip bushes may stay disease free for many years, ultimately they will succumb to the inevitable.
Carol
NoSecretNow
Original Author
19 years ago
Yikes. Thanks Carol!

I Googled it and found a wealth of information. It is sad it is so susceptible to the fungus. I took about 20 cuttings today and plan to root them to grow a border along the fence in the front yard bordering my neighbor. Though they are susceptible I will give it a go anyway since the ones in the backyard are quite developed and just too beautiful for me not to take the chance and try growing them elsewhere.
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lavinton
19 years ago
Hi again ....As I came home late this afternoon I noticed a few red tips in yards . The new growth is beautiful !! I can understand why you would want to try .The ones in your pictures look very healthy ...look like they have been there for a few years .
Good luck
Carol
WannaBGardener
19 years ago
We have had ours now for over 15 years, and they are still healthy. Neighbor across the street has one he let go into a tree. 30 ft or so high and he says as old as it is high. We have ours as a hedge, and the red birds love to nest in them. However IF I were you, I would enjoy the ones you have, but would not try rooting more. There are so many easier and healthier shrubs to go with. When and IF ours do die, we will replace them with a Beuford Holly Hedge.

What's This Small Tree - Green With Bright Red New Growth?

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lavinton

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lavinton

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