About Loropetalum

• The species Loropetalum chinense naturally grows in the woodlands of eastern Asia. It grows to 6 to 11 feet tall as a variable shrub or small tree. The plants attain a rounded silhouette with spreading, tiered branches. Numerous cultivars exist for gardeners to grow in the United States, included those of variety rubrum, which yield pinkish red flowers rather than white. Huge variation in mature height exists among the cultivars. Mature height reveals whether a plant is indeed dwarf in comparison to the natural wild size of plants.
  
  

What is Dwarf?

• Dwarf implies that the mature size of the Chinese fringeflower shrubs is smaller than the wild species. Any number of cultivars could be considered dwarf if they mature shorter than 6 to 11 feet. Merely describing a shrub as dwarf, of itself, is misleading. Added adjectives such as dense and compact imply smallness but may only refer to density of leaves on twigs, the number of twigs or the fact that branches do not grow long and wispy.
  
  

Learning Mature Plant Size

• When searching for a dwarf Chinese fringeflower shrub, do not rely solely on labels. Specifically look for the cultivar name or trademark name to learn the plant's precise identity. Then look for data on its expected mature dimensions. Choose a cultivar best suited to your landscape needs. You want to avoid having to constantly prune to keep the shrub at an acceptable size. Too much pruning makes an unattractive plant and destroys its ability to produce flowers well.
  
  

Dwarf Types

• Even though the term dwarf is ambiguous, some Chinese fringeflower cultivars do naturally mature below 5 feet tall. Such small-growing selections are best suited to building foundations, low hedges or small scaled mixed garden borders. The cultivar "Shang-Lo," sold under the trademark name Purple Pixie, matures 1 to 2 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide. Cultivar "Shang-Hi," known as Purple Diamond, grows 4 to 5 feet tall and equally wide. By stark contrast, selections referred to as dwarf, such as cultivar "Ruby," matures at 4 to 6 feet tall. Cultivar "Griffcrl," sold as Little Rose Dawn, suggests smallness in its trademark name, but it actually matures at 7 to 8 feet tall.