Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Chinese Fringe Flower, Chinese Witch Hazel

Brand:  Southern Living

Description:

Emerges in the spring with burgundy foliage, turning to a rich deep purple all summer long; this compact shrub has showy pink spider flowers in spring and and may repeat in fall; part-shade is best; needs regular watering, especially in midsummer heat

Ornamental Features

Purple Diamond® Fringeflower features showy pink spider-like flowers held atop the branches in mid spring. Its attractive oval leaves emerge burgundy in spring, turning deep purple in colour the rest of the year.

Landscape Attributes

Purple Diamond® Fringeflower is a multi-stemmed evergreen perennial with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Purple Diamond® Fringeflower is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Purple Diamond® Fringeflower will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. Although it is technically a woody plant, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as a perennial in our climate if planted outdoors over the winter, usually regrowing from its base (crown) the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Purple Diamond® Fringeflower is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.

This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.