This is in a garden in a Vancouver suburb. The previous owners chopped it right down to the ground & now it's sent up 3 leggy branches from the stump. The leaves are quite firm - similar to an english laurel in feel. Thanks for help in identifying this plant.
Definitely photinia - easy to maintain - leave it alone to let it do it's thing! it can be trimmed into a variety of shapes - usually a ball or hedge or ? Do you feel like edward scissor hands yet? Any questions - we're here to help.
Great! Thanks guys. I think I'll try to train it into a tree. I'll be back soon - there are a couple other things I haven't identified.
'Birmingham' and 'Red Robin' are the two best known varieties with red new shoots here in the UK. In my experience 'Red Robin' has brighter red leaves.
Specimens in same plantings or batches here may appear to show varying characteristics, some much more deeply colored than others. Despite being cutting grown, usually sold simply as P. x fraseri, without clonal designation. 'Red Robin' not prevalent here - at least under cultivar name. Offered only occasionally. Spotting and premature dropping of leaves is becoming frequent here. http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/disease.cfm?RecordID=1350 One thing that differs from above description is that infested specimens may become gaunt, appear to weaken. I cut a long-established plant that had become spotty and thin back to renovate it and it pretty much died instead, as though exhausted by the reduced food production from the leaves. But older leaves being affected most or first differs from this account of alternative condition. http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/disease.cfm?RecordID=843
