Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Chinese Fringe Flower, Chinese Witch Hazel

Description:

Gracefully layered branches covered with bright red to pink spider flowers in spring, that repeat in fall; deep, dark plum foliage retains its color throughout the season; part-shade is best; needs regular watering, especially in midsummer heat

Ornamental Features

Dark Fire Fringeflower features showy fragrant cherry red spider-like flowers held atop the branches from mid spring to early fall. Its attractive oval leaves emerge dark red in spring, turning plum purple in colour with curious ruby-red undersides and tinges of olive green the rest of the year.

Landscape Attributes

Dark Fire Fringeflower is a multi-stemmed evergreen perennial with a mounded 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.

Dark Fire Fringeflower is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Dark Fire Fringeflower will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 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.

Dark Fire 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.