Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Photinia
Photinia, often called Red Tip Photinia, is a dense evergreen shrub with glossy leaves that come in bright red and turn deep green. It is a classic hedge and tall screen, and shearing brings on a fresh flush of red leaves. Clusters of small white flowers open in late winter and early spring. In the Valley it does best on a cooler side of the house with regular water.
Best for: an evergreen hedge or tall screen away from hot west walls, red spring color, and watered beds.
Set plants 6 to 8 feet apart for a dense evergreen hedge or screen. It can grow 10 to 15 feet tall, and most people shear it lower to keep it tight.
In the Valley it does best away from hot southwest and west walls, in full sun to part shade. Planted there with regular water, it keeps its glossy leaves through summer.
New leaves come in bright red and fade to deep green, heaviest in spring with more flushes into summer. Shearing brings out more red growth, and white flower clusters open in late February and March.
Summer sun off west and southwest walls burns the leaves. Alkaline Valley soil can turn the leaves yellow, and it is prone to leaf spot and powdery mildew. It needs more water than a desert shrub.
- Hedge row6 ft apart
- Loose screen8 ft apart
Plant it in full sun to part shade, but keep it away from southwest and west sides. Summer sun can burn the leaves in the Valley.
Photinia needs regular, frequent water in the Valley, more than most desert shrubs. Water new plants often through their first summers, and keep watering often in hot weather.
Leaf spot and powdery mildew are the common problems. Clean your pruners between plants so disease does not spread from one to the next.
Shearing brings on the red new leaves. If new leaves turn yellow with green veins, apply an iron product.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Does Photinia grow well in Phoenix?
It can, in the right spot with regular water. Plant it in full sun to part shade, and keep it away from hot west and southwest walls.
How much sun does Photinia need?
It grows in full sun to part shade. In the Valley, avoid southwest and west sides, where summer sun burns the leaves.
How much water does Photinia need?
It needs regular, frequent water in the Valley, more than most desert shrubs. Water new plants often through their first summers, and keep watering often in hot weather.
Why are my Photinia leaves turning yellow?
Alkaline Valley soil keeps it from taking up enough iron, so the newest leaves turn yellow between green veins. An iron product greens it back up.
What are the spots on my Photinia leaves?
Photinia is prone to leaf spot, and powdery mildew can show up too. Treat with a fungicide at the first spots, covering both sides of the leaves, and clean your pruners between plants.
How tall does Photinia get?
It can grow 10 to 15 feet tall and about as wide if left alone. Most people shear it lower as a hedge.
How do I get more red leaves on Photinia?
The red is new growth, so shearing or pruning brings out more of it. Trim through the growing season and it pushes a fresh red flush.
How far apart should I plant Photinia?
Plant it 6 to 8 feet apart. Use about 6 feet for a tight hedge and 8 feet for a looser screen, as shown in the Spacing tab.
Does Photinia flower?
Yes. Clusters of small white flowers open in late February and March in the Valley, and sometimes again in fall.
Is Photinia cold hardy?
Yes. It is hardy in the Valley and handles cold well below anything a Phoenix winter brings, so it needs no frost cover.
Photinia for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Red Tip Photinia is a fast evergreen hedge with bright red new leaves. It is not a desert plant, so in the Valley success comes down to the right side of the house and regular water. Below is what to expect: size, spacing, sun, water, yellow leaves, leaf spot and pruning.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Can you grow Photinia in Phoenix?
Yes, with the right spot and regular water. Keep it off west and southwest walls, where summer sun burns the leaves, and give it more water than a desert shrub.
Best spot for Photinia in the Valley
It takes full sun to part shade, but hot southwest and west sides are hard on it. Pick a spot away from those walls and within reach of regular water.
How much water does Photinia need in Arizona?
It needs regular, frequent water in the Valley. Water new plants often through their first summers and keep the soil from drying out in hot weather.
Why Photinia leaves turn yellow
In alkaline soil, Photinia often cannot take up enough iron and the leaves turn yellow. A fertilizer for acid-loving plants helps green it back up.
Photinia leaf spot and mildew
Leaf spot and powdery mildew are the common problems. Treat at the first spots with a fungicide and clean pruners between plants.
How far apart to plant Photinia
Space Photinia 6 to 8 feet apart. Closer spacing gives a tight hedge, and wider spacing a looser screen.
Getting red leaves on Photinia
The red comes from new leaves, heaviest in spring with more flushes into summer. Shearing during the growing season brings out more red growth.
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