Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum Pipas Red - Chinese Witch Hazel

Loropetalum chinense Pipa's Red is undoubtedly the darkest of the cultivars with purple foliage. This evergreen bush also charms with its flexible habit, slightly spreading, which gives it the appearance of a dark fountain. It is adorned with curious bright pink and slightly fragrant flowers, which bloom at the axil of the leaves usually in late winter and spring, and then more sporadically in late summer, depending on the climate. While it proves hardy and relatively tolerant to heat and drought once well established, it prefers mild, cool climates in summer, and soils devoid of limestone.

Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, or Chinese Fringe Flower with purple leaves, is a bush of the Hamamelidaceae family, noted by its flowers with 4 long ribbon-like petals that resemble those of the Hamamelis. It is native to the forests and copses of the Himalayas, in China, and in the northern and eastern regions of India, where it grows up to an altitude of 1200m (3937 ft).

Pipa's Red is a recent cultivar derived from this shrub, with a bushy and spreading habit carried by slightly arched branches. It will reach a height of about 1.50m (4 ft 11 in) and a spread of 1.75m (5 ft 8 in) at maturity. It develops evergreen foliage in mild climates. The entire, ovate leaves, 2 to 5cm (0.8 to 2 in) long, are red when they bloom, then they gradually take on a dark purple-violet hue, before turning gradually to bronze-purple to bronze-green in winter. The leaves located in the shade tend to be greener than those that receive sunlight, even in the middle of summer. The abundant, melliferous and nectar-rich flowering takes place in March-April, more or less early depending on the climate. It lasts about 2 weeks and is renewed several times in this variety, in summer, and even sporadically in late summer. The flowers are grouped in 3 to 6 at the axil of the leaves, along the branches. They are composed of 4 slightly twisted, ribbon-like petals, bright pink in colour and slightly fragrant. The almost flashy pink tone of the flowers creates a magnificent contrast with the dark colour of the foliage.

Loropetalum are in fashion; beautifully coloured, compact and well adapted to pot culture, they seduce urban gardeners as well as lovers of English gardens. They stand out in spring scenes, beautifully coloured when the garden is still very little in bloom. Its melliferous flowers are also a good source of nectar for bees early in the season. While it is relatively hardy once well established, young plants can suffer from -6/-7°C (21.2/19.4 °F), so they will need to be protected from severe frost in northern France. You can grow it in pots in cold regions, in a non-limestone but fertile soil, to be stored in winter. It can be used in a free hedge or within a group of acid-loving shrubs with staggered flowering: camellias, heathers, witch hazels, azaleas and rhododendrons, andromedas and hydrangeas, for example.