Description

Versatile hedge or screening plant displays bronzy young foliage on spreading, gracefully arching branches. Easily trained as espalier. Tolerates heat. Evergreen. Xylosma can be used as either a shrub or small tree in the landscape, reaching 10-12' tall and wide. It does best in full to part sun. Makes a fine natural hedge gently pruned to size or it will adapt to mild shearing for a more formal appearance. Allow it to grow naturally for a shiny light green background for beds and borders. Excellent for breaking up long fence lines or for de-emphasizing large multi-story walls in foundation planting. Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Water deeply, less frequently, once established. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring. For a tidy, neat appearance, shear annually to shape. When in bloom, xylosmas draw bees in droves which makes this shrub vital in wildlife gardens and an undesirable plant near swimming pools.