Leaf
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Chinese fringe flower
Loropetalum chinense (R.Br.) Oliv.
Also known as: Fringe flower, Loropetalum
Family: Hamamelidaceae
1 to 3 m tall
Ornamental beds in mild climates, acid to neutral, free-draining soil
Flowering: March – April, sometimes with a repeat flowering in late summer
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to about -12°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its thread-like, crumpled petals give it, in flower, the look of a shrub covered in pink confetti — such a distinctive appearance that no other shrub in our gardens really resembles it.
🍃 Leaves
Evergreen, small, ovate, dark green or purple depending on the cultivar
🌸 Flowers
Pink, white or cream, with very fine strap-shaped, fringed petals, grouped in small clusters
🍎 Fruits
Small woody capsules, barely visible
🪵 Bark
Grey-brown, dense, spreading branching
🗺️ Distribution
Native to China, Japan and South-East Asia; widely distributed in horticulture for its purple foliage
🐝 Value for pollinators
Early nectar-rich flowers, useful to the first foraging insects of spring
✂️ Horticultural uses
Planted as a specimen or low hedge for the original combination of purple foliage and pink fringed flowers
🌱 Known cultivars
'Rubrum'
🌿 Other Hamamelidaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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