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| Blue Cascade Distylium |
The following, in a series of articles, is to introduce you to a few plants of interest, perhaps ones for which you are unfamiliar.
The Distylium is an evergreen, low-maintenance, more open-format shrub which serves as a wonderful alternative or replacement for boxwoods, laurels, hollies, indian hawthorns, just to name a few.
Depending on species, a Distylium can be used as a foundation bed plant, a screen, a specimen plant, in an island plant bed, around a mailbox, or elsewhere. They possess varying mature heights and widths so you have great flexibility for placement.
Typically, the name of a Distylium lends itself to a tint of color the foliage will have as it develops new leaves or perhaps longer. All have very small reddish-maroon flowers which usually appear in late winter to early spring.
The rarely need pruning except to perhaps reduce height or prevent encroaching upon another plant or structure. Or, you can install a mass planting and simply allow them to grow into one another.
These need to be hand pruned properly. DO NOT take hedgers or trimmers to them to cut them back, reduce their size or shape them. The resulting mess will not resemble the original beautiful plant. I have rehabbed many whereas the homeowner or their lawn service decided to make little round shapes out of them. If anything, leave them alone.
I am providing a link which provides more detail on several Distyliums, but there are a few more which will suit most any application.
In recent years I have installed Cinnamon Girl, Blue Cascade, Vintage Jade and Emerald Heights Distyliums with great success.
You can learn more at https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/distyliums/.
If you are considering creating a new plant bed, restoring an existing one or simply placing a few new plants on your property, please contact me, Doug, at 803-553-5757.
We can begin planning and/or establishing new plant beds now to get a jump on the Spring rush.
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