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Chinese Photinia

Stranvaesia davidiana

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
For more information please download the BSBI Code of Conduct PDF document.

Contents

Plant Profile

Flowering Months:
JAN  FEB  MAR  APR  MAY  JUN  JUL  AUG  SEP  OCT  NOV  DEC
Order:
Rosales
Family:
Rosaceae (Rose)
Also in this family:
Acute Leaf-lobed Lady's-mantle, Alpine Cinquefoil, Alpine Lady's-mantle, Ampfield Cotoneaster, Arran Service Tree, Arran Whitebeam, Barren Strawberry, Bastard Agrimony, Bastard Service Tree, Bearberry Cotoneaster, Bird Cherry, Blackthorn, Bloody Whitebeam, Bramble, Bristol Whitebeam, Broad-leaved Whitebeam, Broadtooth Lady's-mantle, Bronze Pirri-pirri-bur, Bullace Plum, Bullate Cotoneaster, Burnet Rose, Catacol Whitebeam, Caucasian Lady's-mantle, Cheddar Whitebeam, Cherry Laurel, Cherry Plum, Cloudberry, Clustered Lady's-mantle, Common Agrimony, Common Hawthorn, Common Lady's-mantle, Common Medlar, Common Ninebark, Common Whitebeam, Crab Apple, Creeping Chinese Bramble, Creeping Cinquefoil, Crimean Lady's-mantle, Cultivated Apple, Cultivated Pear, Cut-leaved Blackberry, Damson, Devon Whitebeam, Dewberry, Diel's Cotoneaster, Dog Rose, Doward Whitebeam, Dropwort, Elm-leaved Bramble, English Whitebeam, Entire-leaved Cotoneaster, False Salmonberry, Field Rose, Firethorn, Fodder Burnet, Fragrant Agrimony, Franchet's Cotoneaster, Garden Lady's-mantle, Garden Strawberry, Giant Meadowsweet, Glaucous Dog Rose, Goatsbeard Spiraea, Gough's Rock Whitebeam, Great Burnet, Greengage Plum, Grey-leaved Whitebeam, Hairless Lady's-mantle, Hairy Lady's-mantle, Hautbois Strawberry, Himalayan Blackberry, Himalayan Cotoneaster, Himalayan Whitebeam, Hoary Cinquefoil, Hollyberry Cotoneaster, Hupeh Rowan, Hybrid Cinquefoil, Hybrid Geum, Irish Whitebeam, Japanese Cherry, Japanese Quince, Japanese Rose, Jew's Mallow, Juneberry, Lancaster Whitebeam, Late Cotoneaster, Least Lady's-mantle, Least Whitebeam, Leigh Woods Whitebeam, Ley's Whitebeam, Liljefor's Whitebeam, Littleleaf Cotoneaster, Llangollen Whitebeam, Llanthony Whitebeam, Lleyn Cotoneaster, Loganberry, Many-flowered Rose, Margaret's Whitebeam, Marsh Cinquefoil, Meadowsweet, Midland Hawthorn, Mougeot's Whitebeam, Mountain Ash, Mountain Avens, Mountain Sibbaldia, Moupin's Cotoneaster, No Parking Whitebeam, Ocean Spray, Orange Whitebeam, Pale Bridewort, Pale Lady's-mantle, Parsley Piert, Pirri-pirri-bur, Plymouth Pear, Portuguese Laurel, Purple-flowered Raspberry, Quince, Raspberry, Rock Cinquefoil, Rock Lady's-mantle, Rock Whitebeam, Round-leaved Dog Rose, Round-leaved Whitebeam, Rum Cherry, Russian Cinquefoil, Salad Burnet, Sargent's Rowan, Scannell's Whitebeam, Service Tree, Sharp-toothed Whitebeam, Sherard's Downy Rose, Shining Lady's-mantle, Ship Rock Whitebeam, Short-styled Rose, Shrubby Cinquefoil, Silver Lady's-mantle, Silverweed, Slender Parsley Piert, Slender-spined Bramble, Small-flowered Sweetbriar, Small-leaved Sweetbriar, Soft Downy Rose, Somerset Whitebeam, Sorbaria, Sour Cherry, Southern Downy Rose, Southern Lady's-mantle, Spineless Acaena, Spring Cinquefoil, St. Lucie's Cherry, Steeplebush, Stern's Cotoneaster, Stirton's Whitebeam, Stone Bramble, Sulphur Cinquefoil, Swedish Service Tree, Swedish Whitebeam, Sweet Briar, Symond's Yat Whitebeam, Tengyueh Cotoneaster, Thimbleberry, Thin-leaved Whitebeam, Tibetan Cotoneaster, Tormentil, Trailing Tormentil, Tree Cotoneaster, Trefoil Cinquefoil, Twin-cliffs Whitebeam, Two-spined Acaena, Wall Cotoneaster, Water Avens, Waterer's Cotoneaster, Waxy Lady's-mantle, Welsh Cotoneaster, Welsh Whitebeam, White Burnet, White's Whitebeam, White-stemmed Bramble, Wild Cherry, Wild Pear, Wild Plum, Wild Service Tree, Wild Strawberry, Willmott's Whitebeam, Willow-leaved Bridewort, Willow-leaved Cotoneaster, Wineberry, Wood Avens, Wye Whitebeam, Yellow-flowered Strawberry
Type:
Evergreen shrub
Life Cycle:
Perennial
Maximum Size:
3 metres tall
Habitats:
Gardens, grassland, hedgerows, parks, walls, woodland.

Flower:
֍
White, 5 petals
 
Clusters of white flowers. Flowers each measure about 8mm across. Pollinated by insects.
Fruit:
Red globular berries, about 0.5cm across. In fruit during July and August.
Leaves:
Entire, elliptic, oblong, glossy leaves. The leaves turn red as they get older.
Other Names:
Chinese Dogwood, David's Stranvaesia, Stranvaesia.
Frequency (UK):
Unusual  

Other Information

Summary

Stranvaesia davidiana, commonly known as David's Stranvaesia or Chinese Dogwood, is a species of flowering plant in the Rosaceae family. It is native to China, Japan, and Korea. The plant is a small tree or shrub with glossy green leaves and small, white to pink flowers in clusters. It is also known for its red or orange berries that appear after the flowers. It is a popular ornamental plant in gardens and parks, particularly for its attractive flowers and fruit. It is not known to have any medicinal use, it's not recommended for any use.

Blog

Chinese Photinia, also known as Stranvaesia davidiana, is a small to medium-sized evergreen shrub that belongs to the Rosaceae family. It is native to China, specifically to the provinces of Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, and Sichuan. Chinese Photinia is highly appreciated for its striking foliage and showy clusters of small white flowers, making it a popular choice for gardens and landscaping.

Chinese Photinia is a slow-growing shrub that typically reaches a height of 6 to 10 feet and a spread of 4 to 8 feet. Its leaves are glossy and leathery, with a bright green color that turns reddish-bronze in the fall. The shrub's small white flowers bloom in late spring to early summer and are followed by small red berries that persist into winter, adding to its ornamental appeal.

One of the most attractive features of Chinese Photinia is its dense and compact growth habit, making it an ideal choice for hedging or screening. It can also be pruned into various shapes, including topiary forms, making it a versatile plant for landscape design.

Chinese Photinia is a relatively low-maintenance shrub that can tolerate a wide range of soil types, as long as they are well-drained. It prefers full sun to partial shade and requires regular watering during the growing season. It is also important to ensure good air circulation around the shrub to prevent the development of fungal diseases.

While Chinese Photinia is generally a hardy and disease-resistant plant, it can be susceptible to some pests, such as scale insects and spider mites. Regular monitoring and treatment with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil can help prevent infestations.

In addition to its ornamental value, Chinese Photinia also has some medicinal properties. The leaves and berries of the shrub have been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of ailments, including sore throat, colds, and flu. The leaves are also believed to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Chinese Photinia is also valued for its ecological importance. The shrub provides shelter and food for a variety of wildlife, including birds, insects, and small mammals. The red berries are particularly attractive to birds, making Chinese Photinia a valuable addition to a bird-friendly garden or landscape.

Another benefit of Chinese Photinia is that it is relatively easy to propagate. It can be propagated by seeds or by hardwood cuttings taken in late winter or early spring. With proper care, newly propagated plants will quickly establish and grow into mature shrubs.

Chinese Photinia is also known for its ability to tolerate pruning and shaping, making it a popular choice for topiary and espalier designs. Topiary is the art of pruning shrubs and trees into decorative shapes, while espalier involves training plants to grow flat against a wall or fence. Chinese Photinia's dense foliage and compact growth habit make it an ideal plant for these types of designs.

In terms of cultivars, there are several varieties of Chinese Photinia available in the nursery trade. One popular variety is Stranvaesia 'Herriot's Flame', which has bright red new growth that matures to green, and produces white flowers in spring followed by red berries in fall. Another variety is Stranvaesia 'Fernandina', which has dark green leaves and produces abundant clusters of white flowers in spring.

Chinese Photinia is also used in traditional Chinese landscaping, where it is often incorporated into courtyard gardens and other formal gardens. Its compact growth habit and dense foliage make it a natural choice for creating formal hedges and screens, while its bright red berries add color and interest to winter landscapes.

Chinese Photinia has also become a popular choice for bonsai enthusiasts. Bonsai is the art of growing miniature trees and shrubs in containers, using pruning and shaping techniques to create naturalistic or stylized forms. Chinese Photinia's compact growth habit, small leaves, and ability to tolerate pruning make it an ideal candidate for bonsai cultivation.

In terms of maintenance, Chinese Photinia requires little care beyond regular watering and pruning to maintain its shape and size. It is generally a hardy and disease-resistant plant that can tolerate a wide range of growing conditions. However, it is important to monitor the plant for signs of insect or disease infestation, and to take prompt action if any problems are detected.

Overall, Chinese Photinia is a highly versatile and attractive shrub that offers a range of benefits for gardeners and landscapers. With its striking foliage, showy flowers, and hardy nature, it is an ideal choice for a variety of garden and landscape designs. Whether used as a hedge, screen, topiary, or bonsai, Chinese Photinia is sure to add color, texture, and interest to any outdoor space.


Distribution Map

Reproduced by kind permission of the BSBI.

Click to open an Interactive Map