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Photinia a colorful, hearty shrub for the metro area
Q: A couple of doors down from ours, in the front yard, our neighbor has a large bush, at least 10 feet across and 8 foot tall oval-shaped globe, growing in their yard. We鈥檝e never really put much attention to it until lately. Now it is the most vivid color red! Do you maybe know what type of bush this is? 鈥� N.N., Albuquerque
A: I really enjoy it when a plant that has been around for years is all of a sudden in its glory. If you take the time, you鈥檒l notice lots of these red-copper colored plants showing up all over the metro area right now.
I鈥檓 confident that the plant you鈥檙e asking about is Photinia. Photinia fraseri to be certain.
This easy to grow shrub for this area has been a staple in landscaping for a long time and like you鈥檝e mentioned, it is large.
Right now wearing the red-copper color of spring it doesn鈥檛 look like an evergreen, but as the season advances and the foliage matures the Photinia leaves change to glossy dark green color. This variety of Photinia can become quite large, 10 to 15 feet across, just wider than tall.
This Photinia offers another visual as the growing season advances by offering clusters of bright white, fairly small flowers. I鈥檝e never cared for the scent, but they are good fodder for pollinating insects. You鈥檒l easily see lots of butterflies and bees hovering around a Photinia in bloom.
Birds like to find shelter amongst the stoutness of a healthy Photinia too. Photinia take easily to pruning, which makes them a great choice for hedging, and in the 鈥淪unset Western Garden鈥� book they are listed as a good plant to create wind breaks.
I have no idea as to why the majority of Photinia in our area are putting on such a show this year. The weather must have been perfect last fall through the winter months to trigger such color. But colorful they are. Like you mentioned, you never pay much attention to the neighbor鈥檚 shrub, but since it is exploding in so much color, you can鈥檛 help but notice it right now.
Photinia fraseri are considered moderate to fast growers and aren鈥檛 very demanding about water either. Now, that doesn鈥檛 mean you can plant and forget, just that you won鈥檛 have to spoil it with constant water.
They can withstand quite a bit of direct sun, and don鈥檛 seem to be pestered by many bugs or diseases either. Just remember that the nature of this variety of Photinia is big. If you鈥檙e looking for an evergreen that won鈥檛 take up much room, I don鈥檛 think this is the one for you.
So there you go. Pay attention to your neighbor鈥檚 Photinia as the foliage turns from the glorious red color it鈥檚 wearing now, to its mature glossy green with lots of white bloom clusters that to help feed bees and butterflies as the season advances. Enjoy!
Q: I have for years depended on the city offering to pick up the spring鈥檚 yard cleanup, you call it green-cycling. Have you uncovered the dates for this year鈥檚 first green-cycling period? 鈥� N.K., Albuquerque
A: Having poked around the city鈥檚 Solid Waste website, I can offer this info on this program.
From Monday, April 29, to Friday, May 10, the city of Albuquerque will once again offer to collect your annual green waste recycling. It鈥檚 simple too.
On your regular trash collection day, set out your collection of bagged yard waste and crews will come by and whisk them away.
Remember that each bag needs to weigh no more than 40 pounds and if you鈥檙e needing to pitch tree and shrub prunings, they need to be cut into lengths of no more than 4 foot long and be bundled. No loose piles of twigs and branches will be collected.
This service is for the removal of leaves, weeds, trimmings and yard waste clean-up only. Please, no construction materials, auto parts or chemicals 鈥� no gravel or rocks either.
This green waste, once collected, is taken to be chipped up and used in composting for the city. Tires and roof shingles don鈥檛 chip, much less compost, so don鈥檛 aim to take unfair, immoral use of this service.
So get cracking, tidy up your spent green waste and set your collections out on your regular trash collection day starting Monday, April 29, through Friday, May 10.
Now we鈥檙e good to go and Happy Diggin鈥� In!
Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, 近距离内射合集, 7777 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.
