Winterhardy Photinia for hedges, gardens, and terraces

Photinia Devil's Dream® is a hedge and ornamental plant that captivates with its diverse play of colors, enhancing the entire surroundings.

Your new glossy medlar: hardy, easy to care for and a colourful ornament for garden and terrace

"Is the Photinia winter hardy?" is a frequently asked question in nurseries, home improvement stores, and botanical shops. Because even though a plant may be evergreen, it does not necessarily mean that it can withstand the frosty days and nights of the Northern European winter. Many of these plants originally come from sunnier regions where temperatures rarely drop below freezing. They definitely need cold protection and sometimes need to be brought indoors or kept in a greenhouse over the winter. However, this is not the case with the Photinia Devil's Dream®. The Photinia is winter hardy and adorns the garden even in the cold season with its green winter attire.

Devils Dream in a pot

Photinia Devil's Dream®: The firethorn that is winter hardy and shines green in winter

Fiery red shoots from spring to late summer and shiny green throughout the entire autumn and winter: Photinia Devil's Dream® captivates all year round with its impressive play of colors. When it gets really cold, the firethorn shows what winter hardiness means. Where just a few months ago red foliage glowed fiery, now a sparkling coat of snow and ice covers the green leaves. A fascinating sight that transforms the garden into a shimmering enchanted forest. Devil's Dream® easily withstands temperatures down to -20 degrees Celsius.

Year-round privacy protection with Devil's Dream®: robust and fast growing

Due to the winter hardiness of the Photinia hedge, it remains dense and impenetrable to unwanted views. This allows it to serve as a privacy screen throughout the year and it becomes denser and taller over time. Once it has reached the ideal size, a few pruning measures can help maintain its shape.

Devils Dream hedge planting

How do I prune my glossy medlars?

Is the Photinia winter hardy, you can look forward to a new sea of fiery red shoots every year. These are promoted by regular pruning. It is best to use sharp scissors in June or July. Nothing is worse than a cutting tool that does not produce clean cut edges. This is important so that the cuts can close quickly and cleanly. Frayed edges, on the other hand, can easily allow pathogens to enter.

Only prune branches that protrude above and on the sides. Take a few meters of distance from time to time, observe your Photinia Devil's Dream® and gradually approach the desired shape. It is better to trim more often than to cut too much at once - even if the plant reliably regenerates after a wrong cut.

Devils Dream Plants in Pot

Photinia: winter hardy as a hedge and standard tree

Under particularly good conditions, Photinia fraseri grows more vigorously than usual. In such cases, you can do another trim in the second half of August. However, after that, you should stop, because even though the red photinia is winter hardy, it needs its energy to withstand the cold temperatures. This also applies to a photinia standard tree. It is also winter hardy and requires regular pruning to maintain its shape – but only until autumn. After that, pruning should be put on hold. And there is another special feature when Photinia Devil's Dream® is kept in a container: the smaller volume of soil in the pot freezes faster than the soil surrounding the plant outdoors. Therefore, as a precaution, containers and boxes should be provided with cold protection in winter. A photinia growing in the garden usually does not need such protection. Only when the temperatures consistently drop below 20 degrees Celsius should you consider a light cover to retain warmth in the soil.

 

Photinia: Winter hardy and still keeping its leaves?

Devil's Dream® is a photinia that is evergreen, winter hardy, and very robust. Therefore, you don't have to worry if the photinia loses its red leaves. This is a completely normal process because only the young shoots are fiery red. Later, they take on a rich, glossy green color.

However, it can sometimes happen that the red leaves also fall in spring. This indicates that the plant is experiencing drought stress. Although the photinia is winter hardy, prolonged and severe frost can disrupt its optimal water supply. If sunlight also causes moisture to evaporate from the leaves, this leads to a stress reaction and the photinia sheds leaves. However, hedges, bushes, and standard trees quickly recover from this. To prevent this from happening in the first place, water your Photinia Devil's Dream® sufficiently before the onset of winter, and protect the roots with mulch during harsh and long periods of frost. With these measures, your winter hardy photinia will overcome even the frostiest challenges!

Red leaves of the Devils Dream in close-up