Crocus Photinia x Fraseri Red Robin

With its parrot-red glossy young foliage and large rounded heads of ivory flowers this versatile evergreen shrub is deservedly popular. It colours up best in full sun and will usually only flower in sunny conditions although it makes a handsome background evergreen shrub in ...With its parrot-red glossy young foliage and large rounded heads of ivory flowers this versatile evergreen shrub is deservedly popular. It colours up best in full sun and will usually only flower in sunny conditions although it makes a handsome background evergreen shrub in partial shade too.

It can cope with hard pruning so can be trimmed to form an informal hedge or clipped into strong shapes. The flowers appear in mid and late spring and are sometimes followed by spherical red fruit. In frost-prone areas train as a wall shrub against a south or west-facing wall Garden care To encourage a profusion of bright young leaves in late spring or summer shorten the stems of established specimens by up to 15cm 6in to just above an outward-facing bud.

Apply a generous 5-7cm 2-3in mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant in early spring.