How to Grow and Care for Chinese Fringe Flower Shrubs

A highly ornamental shrub, Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum chinense) features fragrant fringed flowers and fantastic, colorful foliage – a beautiful addition to gardens with mild winters.

In late winter to early spring, and sporadically through the summer, the wide, layered branches are adorned with profuse clusters of perfumed spidery flowers in pale to hot pink, scarlet, or white, shimmying in the breeze.

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After flowering, the interest doesn’t stop as this witch hazel relative has unique foliage, its oval leaves arrayed in gorgeous shades of burgundy, green, and purple, depending on the variety.

The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds but deer and other herbivores stay away.

Highly drought tolerant once established, these pretty shrubs are perfect as a stand-alone accent or topiary specimen, or they may be mass planted into hedges and privacy screens.

And despite their delicate, ephemeral quality, these shrubs are low-fuss and easily cultivated. Plus, they grow quickly as well, adding one to two feet per year.

Is your garden ready for a fast-growing, year-round ornamental with pretty fragrant flowers? Then let’s pull the thread on how to grow and care for Chinese fringe flower!

Here’s what’s coming up:

Chinese fringe flower (L. chinense) is a perennial shrub in the Hamamelidaceae family, a broadleaf evergreen that features the same tasseled flowers as its cousin, witch hazel.

With a range of flower and foliage colors, sizes, and growth habits available, this versatile shrub is densely branching