Photinia fraseri Baton Rouge - Christmas Berry

Photinia x fraseri Baton Rouge is an interesting variety of photinia with its young coral-coloured wood, its bright red shoots in spring and late summer, and its well-branched upright habit. A beautiful spring flowering with white and fluffy panicles, as well as a beautiful evergreen foliage of bright green, make this bush an attractive plant all year round. At home in any good garden soil, including coastal areas, this Photinia easily acclimates to regions that are not too cold in winter. It is an excellent hedge plant that will not disappoint in shrub borders.

Photinia x fraseri, or Fraser photinia, is an old horticultural creation born in 1940 in the United States. This hybrid is the result of cross-breeding between Photinia glabra native to Japan and P. serrulata native to China. It has given rise to some famous cultivars, including 'Red Robin', widely planted in our parks and gardens. In recent years, some beautiful and more colourful and dense improvements have been born, such as Baton Rouge.

Reaching an average height of 3 m (9.8 ft) with a spread of 2 m (6.6 ft), it has a rather upright bushy habit, well-branched vegetation, and shows rapid growth. Its evergreen foliage in winter is composed of leaves arranged alternately on the branches. They are tough and glossy on the upper side, about 5 cm to 7 cm (2 in to 2.8 in) long, finely toothed at the edges, and slightly undulate. The bush produces bright red young shoots in spring, as well as in late summer if pruned in June. When they emerge, the leaves display a beautiful red colour that turns bronze and eventually dark green when mature. Sometimes, some young leaves may have a slight light green wash in the centre. Flowering occurs from April to June depending on the climate and regions. It takes the form of bouquets of small white flowers that can reach 10 cm (3.9 in) in diameter, located at the ends of the branches. They are slightly fragrant and attract many pollinating insects.

Photinia x fraseri Baton Rouge tolerates all types of well-drained soil, deep, moist to dry, in sunny or semi-shaded situations. It is an easy-to-grow and easy-to-maintain bush that can withstand temperatures as low as -15° C (5° F) if exposed to the sun. Ideal for creating medium-sized hedges, trimmed or untrimmed, it also shines in flower beds. Very ornamental, it can be planted as a standalone in a small garden. There are numerous ideas for associations depending on the regions and the taste of each gardener: with other evergreen shrubs that are easy to grow such as Elaeagnus ebbingei 'Compacta', laurels, Rhamnus alaternus 'Argenteovariegata', Berberis, Olearia, holly, or Osmanthus. It can also accompany other white spring-flowering shrubs such as Spiraeas (Spiraea Vanhouttei, Spiraea 'Grefsheim') or the Mock Orange.

Tips: Excessively chalky or too clayey and compact soils should be avoided. Pruning for balance is necessary in summer.