The Loropetalum Chinense or commonly called Chinese Fringe Flower is a truly beautiful shrub with its unusual colored leaves ranging from bronze-red when new to olive-green or burgundy when mature. The flowers are bright hot pink. I noticed that this plant is very popular these days and is commonly seen almost everywhere. This plant is actually one of the first few plants that I planted when we first moved here. It was growing very well, but something went wrong and it died. I am only thinking of a couple of possibilities - too much fertilizer or poor soil drainage. It is hard to lose a plant especially one that seemed to be growing so well. This plant is supposed to be a rather hardy plant, so it is a real puzzle why all of a sudden the leaves start to dry up. I had planted it in a sunny spot.It was lucky that I had a cutting that was successful (see picture below). This time I will be having it in a pot and not be too enthusiastic about fertilizing it.
8th September 2011 : Update on my 'baby' Chinese Fringe Flower plant
After almost a year - the plant is not much bigger, isn't it ? Sigh ..... well as they say, things of beauty take time to develop and this is so true for my Fringe Flower !
Oh my gosh....
ReplyDeleteI thought that plant looks so healthy, it was the pioneer in your graden.
Yes, it is a heartache to lose this plant. I have to console myself that I was able to propagate one successful. Also consider this as a lesson. Perhaps I did not dig deep enough. Also my garden tends to be waterlogged when there is too much rain. Probably the roots must have rotted. This time I am leaving the young plant in a pot......taking no chances!
ReplyDeletei had tried propagating this one so many times by cuttings but never seemeded to be successful.
ReplyDeleteAny secret in getting it right?
Hello James..
ReplyDeleteI feel lucky when this one is successful, esp when the first plant started drying up and died. It is still doing well in a pot, thank goodness ! Oh yes, I used some root hormone but the cutting took a long time to send out roots! I really like this plant when it blooms --- very very pretty. BTW the plant has seeds too ... small brown seeds. Have you tried with the seeds?