Christmas Berry, Photinia, Red Robin

Photinia fraseri Red Robin, also known as Christmas Berry, is an evergreen tree with deep green leaves which emerge a bright red colour, before hardening off in the sunshine to green.

This bright red flush occurs in the spring and often once again in the autumn, and can be encouraged to be striking by a routine prune to encourage new growth development.

The creamy white flowers appear in spring, which is an unusual annual occurrence for an evergreen tree. They contrast magnificently with the emerging red leaves.

Photinia Red Robin is well-known as a garden shrub that was bred in New Zealand, winning the Award of Garden Merit in 2002.

At Barcham we choose to grow this species as a true tree with a clear stem and over time it develops a rounded, mop head type crown.

Christmas Berry is the perfect tree of choice for stilted hedging and offers much more in the way of ornamental delight to those who plant them than the utilitarian Tree Privets.

To form a good and immediate impact upon planting, medium-sized trees should be planted at 1.2m+ centres, the further apart they thus become the longer it will take for a full screen to develop.

The Half Standard specimens are perfect for boundary definition or low stilted hedging.

Regular pruning of a stilted screen is necessary to maintain its density. When pruning Photinia Red Robin, remember that it needs a bit more tender loving care than the Tree Privet. Therefore, it is best to use shears rather than a harsh tool like a hedge trimmer.

Mature Height: 3-7m  

Common names

Christmas Berry, Photinia, Red Robin

Height of tree

3-7m

Tree type

Evergreen

Soil type

Well drained, Will tolerate most soil types

Shape

Rounded

Blossom Colour

White

Foliage Colour

Green, Red/Purple

Information Flags

Award

Looks good in

Spring

Privacy

Screening above the fence

Location

Garden

Genus

Photinia