Photinia serratifolia

The Photinia serratifolia, of Asian origin, is a tall bush, vigorous and moderately hardy, with a rounded habit and dense foliage, adorned with dark green decorative evergreen leaves, whose young leaves are beautifully tinted with rose-bronze. Its grey bark, red-brown at maturity, tends to flake off. From April to June, large flat corymbs of small white flower blooms, followed in autumn by round fruits. This photinia, particularly ornamental throughout the year, will be perfect for use as a specimen tree or for hedge planting.

This small evergreen tree or tall bush, with a bushy habit and rapid growth, has dense foliage, a spreading crown, and gray bark, red-brown at maturity, which flakes off. Commonly called Chinese Photinia, it is native to China and Japan and belongs to the Rosaceae family. It has highly decorative foliage, consisting of large leaves, 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8in) long, ovate, dentate, leathery and glossy, dark green, beautifully tinted with rose-bronze in spring. In autumn and winter, a number of leaves take on beautiful reddish hues. Its small white flowers, arranged in flat corymbose panicles, 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8in) in diameter, bloom from April to June, and are followed in autumn by small spherical fruits, initially green, then red, and finally purple-brown. It reaches a height of about 4 to 6 m (13 to 20ft), with a spread of 2 to 3 m (7 to 10ft). 

The genus name Photinia is derived from the Greek word photeinos, meaning bright or luminous, in relation to its glossy foliage. The specific epithet serratifolia comes from the Latin words serrula, meaning small saw, and folia, meaning leaf, referring to the leaves of this Chinese Photinia, which are edged with short and acute teeth.

Easy to cultivate and tolerant of drought once established, this Photinia appreciates a humus-rich, light soil with little lime, as well as a sunny or semi-shaded position. Moderately hardy, it will thrive in regions with harsh winters if planted in a sheltered location away from cold and dry winds, such as along a wall. It can be grown as a specimen tree or included in a group of trees or shrubs, along with a Pseudowintera colorata, a Tree Andromeda, a Viburnum, or a Physocarpus with purple leaves. But this Asian Photinia, with its dense habit and beautiful colored foliage, is especially well-suited for hedge formation, of varying heights depending on the desired size, in order to create a magnificent green screen or to hide a view. For hedge planting, maintain a planting distance of 1 m (3ft) between each plant. It is possible to create a mixed hedge with splendid colored foliage, flowers and berries, by combining it with a Metake Bamboo, a Firethorn, an Escallonia, a Cherry Laurel, Ceanothus, Skimmias, or other varieties of Photinias.
The Photinia, highly adaptable to pruning, can also be shaped as a cone, column, ball, etc.