- Spectacular Red and Pink Edged Foliage
- Creamy White Trim on Mature Foliage
- High Growth Potential
- Excellent Shrub for Hedging
- Good Fall Color
- Spring Blooms Attract Birds
Shrubs make a fantastic addition to most gardens. With a wide variety of uses from privacy to borders to the occasional focus, it’s hard to go wrong with a healthy shrub or two.
Showing off foliage quite unlike any other, the marvelous Pink Marble® Photinia (Photinia fraserii ‘Cassini’ PP15160) should be high on your list of shrubs to consider adding to your garden. In addition to the usual uses of shrubs, this plant puts on a colorful show that can quickly turn it into the center of attention.
This deciduous shrubs leaves are the stars of the show. This feature defines the shrub, as it not only gives seasonal interest year round but it also shows off the way this plant changes color as it matures.
Each new leaf starts out bronze red with blush pink edges, and as they age they’ll mature into a gorgeous green, splashed with sweet pink, and traced with pink margins that mellow into creamy white. In the summer, the new growth of foliage is splashed with an intense ruby red before aging into a cream variegation.
While this plant does bloom in the spring, it is the beautiful foliage of the Pink Marble Photinia that does most of the lifting in terms of attractiveness. The birds in your neighborhood will love the mid-spring snack, however, which means you can look forward to some bird watching opportunities as well!
This shrub tends to grow more centered with age, making it an appealing addition. As this plant grows taller, its growth pattern grows more compact towards its center and splays less sporadically.
The color-changing qualities of this photinia plant is a garden marvel just waiting to be added to your growing area.
How to Use Pink Marble Photinia in the Landscape
The high growth potential of this shrub makes it a great option for a tall hedge plant. Grow several Pink Marble Photinias in succession for a variegated semi-privacy wall you won’t want to look past.
Island beds bordering your property could benefit from this shrub as the focus. Naturally blocking beyond the edges of your yard while drawing attention to the rest of the bed make for a two-for-one special.
Something not mentioned often is how plant varieties can help to show off the unnatural additions to your growing space. This mottled layer of dense foliage makes for a great backdrop for statues you may have on display, acting as a background and accent for your work of art.
When picking a place to plant your Pink Marble Photinia don’t forget the way it changes colors through the seasons. Dark green foliage with red or cream borders may be topped with white flowers depending on the time of year, so it could be particularly helpful in a cottage garden in the springtime.
Tips for Care
The Pink Marble Photinia prefers a moderate amount of water, but doesn’t handle overwatering well. Be sure to plant this shrub in well draining soils as wet soil will potentially kill your shrub over time.
Usually naturally hardy, this plant is not well known for its pest issues. Keep an eye out for potential insect damage from pesky bugs in your area.
The Pink Marble Photinia also handles disease pretty well. To help keep your plant healthy and fungus free you should plant this in a well air-circulated area as a preventative measure though.
You’ll want to plant this strong shrub somewhere it can bask in the sunrays all day long. Full sun makes for the happiest Pink Marble Photinia.
This shrub needs very little pruning compared to other similar shrubs. Any pruning that needs to be done should happen in late winter, however, before the plant completely wakes up from its winter dormancy.
