Shrub
Escallonia
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in June | Flowers in July | Flowers in August | Flowers in September | ||||||||
| Plant | Plant in March | Plant in April | Plant in September | Plant in October | ||||||||
| Prune | Prune in September | |||||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in January | Looks good in February | Looks good in March | Looks good in April | Looks good in May | Looks good in June | Looks good in July | Looks good in August | Looks good in September | Looks good in October | Looks good in November | Looks good in December |
Overview
Originally from South America, escallonias have small, glossy, often slightly sticky leaves and clusters of tubular flowers that bees and butterflies visit through summer. 'Apple Blossom' is a compact pale pink, 'Donard Seedling' carries pink buds opening white, 'Red Dream' is a low, rich red, and 'Iveyi' grows tall with white flowers. 'Gold Brian' adds golden foliage for brighter planting.
Where to grow escallonia
Few shrubs handle coastal exposure as well, making escallonia a favourite hedge in Cornwall, Wales and the west of Ireland. Inland it does best in a sunny, sheltered spot, as hard frosts and cold wind can scorch it. It grows on most free-draining soils, including chalk.
Planting
Plant in spring, or early autumn in mild areas. Mix in some compost on light soils and avoid boggy patches. For a hedge, set plants about 45–60 cm apart and pinch the tips after planting to encourage bushy growth from the base.
Care through the year
Spring
Feed hedges with a general fertiliser and mulch to retain moisture.
Summer
Water young plants in drought; otherwise sit back and enjoy months of flowers.
Autumn
Trim once the main flowering ends and clear fallen leaves if leaf spot is present.
Winter
Leave frosted growth until spring as it protects the shoots below.
Pruning
Trim lightly after flowering in late summer or early autumn, shortening the flowered shoots. Avoid heavy pruning late in the year, which encourages soft growth vulnerable to frost. Overgrown hedges can be cut back hard in spring, though they will flower less that year.
Propagation
Softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-ripe cuttings in late summer root reliably. Escallonia is one of the easier hedging shrubs to multiply yourself.
Common problems
A leaf-spot disease causes purple-edged spots and heavy leaf drop, particularly in wet years; rake up fallen leaves, prune for airflow and replace badly affected plants with less susceptible varieties. Cold winds may brown leaves. Otherwise it is largely pest-free.
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in March, April, September and October. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.