Can photinia be made into a tree?

ThisIsWeird

Hi.

Saw a Phot Red Robin in a garden down t'road which was tree-shaped - a long trunk with a canopy on top. On closer look, it appeared the 'trunk' was two of three stems which were strapped together to look and act as one.

I'm looking for a small evergreen tree with a bit of interest, and the leaf colour would likely fit the bill, but I don't want a shrub or bush. Height to ultimately be around 10' or so, more is ok.

Thoughts please? Ta.

DullGreyGuy

They can be evergreen or deciduous and shrubs or trees depending on the exact species/variety you buy.

Looking at the RHS website unfortunately all the tree versions they recommend are deciduous and the evergreens are all shurbs. That isnt to say there arent evergreen trees just not on the RHS website which is my go to for these sorts of things. 

Dustyevsky

Photina fraserii is evergreen, and as the link I'm supplying shows, it can be grown as a single stem tree.

https://www.gardenplantsonline.co.uk/product/photinia-x-fraseri-red-robin-standard/

I am not recommending the above company, just using their page to show what can be achieved by selecting a leading stem and giving attention through pruning

I've also seen Photina as a tree with two or three interwoven stems, which might be stronger, though harder to achieve and may look too fussy for some.

ThisIsWeird

Thank you, Dull and Dusty.

Good information there, which I'll check out.

Sarahspangles

ThisIsWeird said:

Hi.

Saw a Phot Red Robin in a garden down t'road which was tree-shaped - a long trunk with a canopy on top. On closer look, it appeared the 'trunk' was two of three stems which were strapped together to look and act as one.

I'm looking for a small evergreen tree with a bit of interest, and the leaf colour would likely fit the bill, but I don't want a shrub or bush. Height to ultimately be around 10' or so, more is ok.

Thoughts please? Ta.

The ‘strapping’ bit actually saves the nursery a year or two of watering, feeding, and undercutting the growing tree/shrub.  But in some species these multi-stemmed versions are short lived compared to a single stemmed plant - while trees like Salix (willows) really don’t mind.  

If you want to buy a Photinia on a single stem ready-made then add the words “as a standard tree” to your search.  If you think the popular variety Red Robin might get a bit too big then have a look at Little Red Robin which I think has the advantage that the leaves look more in proportion on a ‘mop head’ shaped crown.

Bear in mind that to get a decent ‘show’ from the red new growth you need to be actively shaping the head to encourage new growth so a 10’ tree means a 10’ ladder and telescopic loppers.

ThisIsWeird

Fab info - thank you :-)

twopenny

Yes the tricky bit is finding a single stemmed plant. They are cut to make them bushy and more saleable more quickly in garden centres.

Nurserys are more likely.

I've just said goodbye to my gardening neighbour who has one pot grown as a tree as with a quick google I struck lucky. Yes and grows to your required height

https://www.paramountplants.co.uk/plant/photfull/photinia-full-standard-tree.html

Again, no idea about that company but it is English so a start. The price while fair enough as they've grown them on for years is a bit much (depends how much you love your garden) but you can get a small one and nurture it

Impressive tollerance levels for climate and soil. Now I'm thinking about one!

https://www.gardenfocused.co.uk/shrub/photinia-red-robin.php

ThisIsWeird

So, red leaves if pruned, and smelly white flowers if not

Cool plant - quite persuasive.

twopenny

Had a quick squint at neighbours tree as it's down the side and it has both flowers and red leaves.
Not sure if she pruned some branches and not others. 
So both are possible.

fatbelly

We have one that is pruned as a bush but it's really too big for where it is.

Growing it as a standard and being happy with it being 10 feet actually sounds better than us lopping 3 feet of growth off it every year

ThisIsWeird

Thanks

Couldn't resist a bottle brush at our local Morrisons this afa'. Prob only 2m- ish high max, but very cute.