Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin'Photinia 'Red Robin'

It differs from the species in its more compact habit, its more saturated new growth and its improved resistance to the leaf spot caused by Entomosporium maculatum that affects generic nursery stock. In Portuguese landscaping it takes the functional place of a clipped Prunus lusitanica or a tall hedge of Viburnum tinus, but with the seasonal burst of colour of the new foliage as a design element: evergreen foliage refreshed at every pruning, with no dependence on flowering for visual interest.

The mature form in Portuguese conditions stabilises at between 3 and 4 metres in height by 2 to 3 metres in width, with an upright habit and dense branching from the base. It responds predictably to formative pruning: two cuts a year (late winter and early summer) fix the form as a formal hedge of 1.8 to 2.5 m, and each pruning stimulates a new flush of red foliage, which can be calibrated at the design stage.

It performs well in full sun and in partial shade, and tolerates loam to chalky soils as long as they are well drained; the critical point is waterlogging at the roots, which triggers leaf spot and must be ruled out at the drainage stage of the specification. It withstands -10 °C without damage, which comfortably covers the coast, the central interior and the Atlantic North; on sites with late frost and still air the spring flush may be caught, recovering with the second flush.

It is tolerant of urban pollution and of coastal conditions with some protection from the prevailing wind, behaviour that explains its established presence in urban central reservations, walled gardens and the framing of perimeter walls. The root system is shallow and fibrous, not aggressive towards paving, and compatible with narrow beds and contained tree pits. In a continuous row, a spacing of 70 to 90 cm produces a closed hedge by the third year after planting, starting from a mature nursery girth size.