Photinia Red Tip – Photinia × fraseri (Fast Evergreen Privacy Hedge, Live Starter Plants)

Red Tip Photinia (Photinia × fraseri) is the fast-growing evergreen everyone knows for its showstopping color: brilliant fire-red to bronze new growth that flushes at the branch tips each spring — and again after every trim — before maturing to glossy dark green. Dense, upright, and quick to fill in (often a foot or more per year), it’s one of the most popular plants for a colorful privacy hedge or screen. Give the Red Tip Photinia a sunny, breezy spot and it rewards you with a living wall of ever-changing red-and-green foliage.

Why Grow Red Tip Photinia?

• Brilliant red new growth – fiery red foliage flushes in spring and after each pruning, maturing to glossy green.
• Fast privacy – vigorous, upright growth quickly forms a dense evergreen hedge, screen, or windbreak.
• Evergreen year-round – keeps its glossy dark-green coverage through all seasons.
• Tough & adaptable – moderately drought-tolerant once established and moderately deer-resistant.
• Easy to shape – takes pruning well, so you can train it formal or informal at the height you want.

Looking for more evergreen structure and screening plants? Browse our Shrubs & Bushes and Trees collections.

Plant Specifications at a Glance

• Botanical name: Photinia × fraseri (Fraser photinia, red tip / red top photinia)
• Plant type: Fast-growing broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree
• Plant family: Rosaceae (the rose family)
• Mature size: 10–15 feet tall and wide if left unpruned; easily kept shorter as a hedge
• Foliage: Bright red to bronze new growth maturing to glossy dark green; small white spring flower clusters
• Notable traits: Fast-growing; colorful new growth; moderately drought- and deer-tolerant; takes shearing well
• Cold Hardiness Zones: 7–9

Red Tip Photinia Care & Growing Guide

This is a tough, easy grower — the main thing is giving it sun and airflow. Follow these guidelines:

• Sunlight: Full sun is best — it brings out the richest red color, keeps growth dense, and helps foliage dry quickly. It tolerates partial shade but grows thinner there.
• Water: Water regularly to establish a strong root system, then occasionally — it’s moderately drought-tolerant once mature. Water at the base of the plant rather than overhead, and avoid soggy soil.
• Soil: Prefers well-drained soil and adapts to most types; avoid wet, poorly drained sites.
• Cold Hardiness Zone: 7–9. In zone 6, site it in a protected spot.
• Pruning: Shear to shape and to trigger fresh red flushes — the red color only appears on new growth. Prune in winter to thin the interior for good air circulation; avoid late-summer pruning, since tender new growth can be frost-damaged.

Keeping it healthy: red tip photinia can be susceptible to Entomosporium leaf spot (small reddish spots that can lead to leaf drop), especially in crowded, shady, or humid conditions. You can largely sidestep it by planting in full sun with plenty of space for airflow, watering at the base instead of overhead, thinning the plant in winter, and raking up fallen leaves.

Good to know: photinia leaves are mildly toxic to dogs, cats, and especially horses if eaten in quantity (they contain cyanogenic compounds), and the sap may irritate sensitive skin — so plant accordingly and wear gloves when pruning.

Ways to Use Red Tip Photinia in the Landscape

• Fast-growing evergreen privacy hedge or screen
• Property-line and driveway borders
• Windbreak and background plantings
• Specimen or accent shrub for seasonal color
• Limbed up into a small multi-stemmed tree

It pairs well with other evergreen screening plants. Gardeners often combine it with the fragrant Sweet Viburnum, the native Wax Myrtle, or compact Japanese Boxwood.

What You’ll Receive

These are live Red Tip Photinia starter plants grown and shipped by Carlo’s Plant Farm. Plants are less than 12 inches tall when we ship them. The photos in this listing depict mature plants of the correct species so you can see how they will look as they grow. Choose your preferred plant bundle size using the options above.

Due to different state laws, we reserve the right to charge extra fees in order to comply with those laws if necessary.

Ordering, Shipping & Returns

Every order ships free and is insured against loss or damage in transit. For full details on how we pack and send your plants, processing and delivery times, and what to do in the rare case of a problem, please review our Shipping Policy and Terms & Conditions before purchasing. By placing an order you agree to those terms.

Red Tip Photinia FAQ