I can only report that they do not fair well in the PNW. Even in my very mild zone, they seldom winter over. I think it is because our summers remain cool enough to not allow the new growth to ripen properly, making them overly prone to winter wet soils and cold. They should establish better in marginal zones with hot summers.

You need kinds that are both smaller growing and more likely to hold up that far North. The Cotinus is hardy but large and sprawling. It being nearly May if you visit local outlets something may be in stock that jumps out at you.

If this area gets a fair amount of shade, I'd probably first consider either Pieris or Kalmia. For Pieris there are variegated ones (such as 'Flaming Silver' --above), dwarf ones, and some with incredible new reddish growth, such as 'Katsura'. Often they will flush new growth periodically throughout the summer. 'Cavatine' is particularly smaller and mounding. They need good drainage though and winter shade is advised.

The Kalmias have nice blooms in late spring. Often pink buds turning to white flowers.

Neither are super fast growers and would be easy to maintain near a house.

There may also be some smaller hollies such as the Blue Hollies that would be nice there. With a male pollinator nearby, you may get attractive red berries on the female by end of summer and well into winter.

A particularly diminutive cultivar of Ternstroemia (such as 'Lynn Lowrey Dwarf') might also work. Though hardiness may be a factor.

The Fraser photinia problem (there is no cultivar 'Red Tip') is fungal leaf spots. It has gotten way up and over here and spoiled countless plantings by now. Before that this area had them over 30 ft. tall - it is not a small shrub.

Dave, thank you! Kalmia and pieris are two others that I've been liking lately, especially because this area does get a lot of shade. I was really hoping to find something in a true purple, though. As for size, I could accommodate height in this bed but not really width - it's a narrow bed in a narrow side yard, so I'm generally looking at dwarf or compact things.

Probably dwarf Japanese barberry cultivars with good purple leaves, that are also claimed to be fruitless or nearly so. Same as with Norway maple and winged euonymus production nurseries with plant development programs have continued to select and introduce new forms of these despite weediness problems in the North and/or East. So if you look around you may find a barberry that is just right. Of course, these are spiny and look dead in the winter. But if you really want that leaf color...

Also as with any deciduous shrubs these should be flanked by evergreen kinds so the planting is not entirely sticks all winter anyway.

The other two much offered groups where purple leaves have become a commonly associated feature are nine-barks and elders. Most of these will be too large growing but there are dwarf purple versions of nine-bark on the general market now. Only I haven't so far seen the same depth of coloring of these as one of the better dwarf purple barberries such as 'Concorde'.

'ZhuZhou' is supposedly one of the hardiest and the only I have or have tried.

It wasn't killed by the polar winters (low 3F then 1F) but probably had some branch dieback. Also it loses its leaves here in most winters, which I don't think happens down south. That seems to slow its growth down. There are reports that the 'ZhuZhou' cultivar quickly grows to brobdingnagian proportions in places like Charleston. Mine was 2' about 5 years ago and is only 3.5' now. Also, it hasn't bloomed well after the colder winters. So, overall compared to the many BLEs I grow, it doesn't strike me as terribly hardy here on the border between 7a and 7b in northeastern Maryland.

I wasn't aware any of the Hudson Valley was 7a unless you are right near NYC? Anyhow, sure feel free to try one, but don't get your hopes up too high.

Was going to take a picture of it soon, anyhow. Embo will probably say it is 'sparse' and it is. I don't want something large and dominant in this spot. The looseness and openness of the stems is actually a nice contrast with various things planted nearby. I do know of a much bigger one in central New Jersey but don't know how it fared in the polar winters. That was at Tripleoaks nursery, which sold the plant for years and was where I got mine.

Yes, we are at the extreme southern tip of Westchester county. I don't know that most people would call us Hudson Valley, but since I can see the river from my front porch I am pretty sure that's where we are. ;) Anyway, thank you for the info on your Zhuzhou - I don't mind the leaf loss in the winter, although part of my attraction to this particular plant was the evergreen aspect. We shall see. If I try one, I'll be sure to plant it near the foundation on the south side of the house and mulch heavily. I am having a hard time planning beds and making decisions, though - there are just too many beautiful plants from which to choose! It makes me want to tear out that dumb privet (I think) in the photo I posted even more - why grow privet when you can grow so many more interesting things?

"If I try one, I'll be sure to plant it near the foundation on the south side of the house"

ordinarily with borderline BLEs I'd advise caution with that approach...winter morning sun can be very dangerous to camellias for example...but since this one seems to have a degree of adaptation to losing its leaves regularly, I'd say, go ahead, might be the best spot for it. Mine is not in a sheltered area.

Even the rascally Monrovia only calls it 7-9 hardy: Zhuzhou Fuchsia Fringe Flower - Monrovia - Zhuzhou Fuchsia Fringe Flower

So, yeah, you will be right on the edge with it. Good luck.

I'm pretty sure at some point in the past couple of years I have seen loropetalum for sale at one of Home Depot or Lowes in Westchester or Rockland (though I may be thinking of photinia). You may want to check a couple of the big box stores locally before you spend a lot of money ordering them online, because if they have it you'll get a larger plant and won't be out a ton of money if they don't survive the winter. I agree with the other comments regarding the size, but based on my experience growing other marginal zone 7 plants, the shorter growing season here compared to the South means that such plants don't grow as fast even if they're able to survive winters.

Saw a pink loropetalum hedge today in Seattle that was just packed with flowers.

what did you decide? does someone ninebark? it's more cold Hardy (z3?)

Old thread I know. Here's 'Zhuzhou fuchsia' at the Nat'l Arboretum. The foliage turned brown by the polar vortex winter but it leafed out again. OP wrote "loropetalum owners in my zone end up with dead or damaged shrubs". That's an important observation, by all means choose something that does well in your zone. Pic taken 03-26-16

Those will of course be getting pruned to grow in a fanlike manner. Otherwise they would have reached out over the paving by now.

Sam did you take that picture before the Arboretum closed?

I actually ordered a Purple Pixie this spring to try in a sheltered location, but it hasn't arrived yet. The shipper seems to be a bit overwhelmed due to COVID so I am trying to be patient but I'm considering chickening out, LOL.

Purple Pixie LP is a 4- 6 footer, yes? Zhuzhou LP would make quite a statement in your front bed (just not under a window).

We have actually had a huge landscaping project done since that photo was taken, and that bed is now just about full (with dwarf lilacs and a Vanilla Strawberry panicle hydrangea, plus various perennials. The Purple Pixie is a low, spreading variety that I plan to try in my backyard, in the lowest bed of a set of terraced bed. I would love to put one in front of the house but that area has no winter protection from wind so I'm pretty sure it wouldn't survive there.