Taiwanese photinia, Chinese Photinia
Photinia serratifolia

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Early spring, Late summer, Late spring, Mid summer, Mid spring. Form: Rounded, Vase.

Photinia serratifolia is an evergreen Shrub growing to 8 m (26ft 3in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in leaf all year, in flower in April, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 8

Where it is found

Mixed forests, roadsides, slopes, fields, low mountain regions and sea shores from sea level to 2500 metres.

E. Asia - China.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 1

The leaves are diuretic, febrifuge, stimulant and tonic. A tincture of the wood is ingested as a tonic and anodyne. The plant is said to have excessive aphrodisiac properties.

Anodyne: Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.

Aphrodisiac: Increases the sexual appetite.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Other

Rating:

The wood is hard and heavy, suitable for making furniture and other small articles.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Pest tolerant, Screen, Standard, Specimen, Street tree. Requires a well-drained fertile soil in a sheltered position in sun or light shade. Prefers a warm soil that is not too heavy or close. Tolerates calcareous soils. Dislikes windy sites. Plants are hardy to between -7 and -12°c. Hardy at Kew Gardens in all but exceptionally cold winters, this species is at its best in the milder areas of the country where specimens up to 15 metres tall exist. There are some named forms, selected for their ornamental value. The flowers have a delicate scent. Plants are susceptible to fireblight. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Special Features:Attractive foliage, Not North American native, Blooms are very showy.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. Stored seed will probably require stratification and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Germination is usually good. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Basal cuttings in a frame. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. They take about 2 months to root and should be overwintered in a greenhouse, planting out in late spring. Fair to good percentage. Cuttings of almost ripe side shoots, 7 - 12cm with a heel, October/November in a cold frame. Lift the following autumn and plant in their permanent positions. Layering in autumn. Partially sever the layer about 12 months later and lift in the following spring. High percentage.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 6-10

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

P. serrulata. Lindl. Crataegus serratifolia.