Apple Blossom escallonia

Sun

Full sun gives the best flowering; tolerates light partial shade.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Once established, water during prolonged dry spells; avoid constantly wet soil.

Soil

Well-drained soil of average fertility, including sandy or loamy soil; tolerates a range of soil pH. Improve drainage before planting in heavy clay.

Height

5-8 ft (1.5-2.4 m)

Spread

5-8 ft (1.5-2.4 m)

Flowers

Summer into early autumn; small, tubular flowers in clusters, white flushed and edged with soft pink.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, glossy, dark green leaves with finely toothed edges; foliage may thin or suffer scorch after hard frost.

Growth

Moderate to fast in mild conditions with adequate moisture.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.8 ft (0.86 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.2 m)

4. After 3 years

   5 ft (1.6 m)

5. After 5 years

   6 ft (2 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply during dry weather for the first one to two growing seasons.
• Apply a thin layer of compost in spring; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding, which encourages leafy growth at the expense of flowers.
• Mulch over the root area, keeping mulch clear of the stems.
• Choose a sheltered position in colder districts, away from frost pockets and cold, drying winds.
• Water at soil level rather than wetting the foliage, especially where leaf spot occurs.

Pruning. Trim lightly after the main summer flowering to shape the shrub or hedge; repeated close clipping reduces flowering. Remove dead or frost-damaged shoots in spring once new growth shows which stems have survived.

Spring

Plant in colder districts once severe frost has passed, and water thoroughly.

Mid-spring

Remove frost-damaged shoots and renew the mulch without covering the stem bases.

Summer

Water young plants during dry spells and check foliage for leaf spots or scale insects.

Late summer

Trim lightly after the main flush of flowers, retaining a natural outline.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

Autumn

Plant in mild districts while the soil is warm, provided drainage is good.

Winter

Check for waterlogging and protect young plants with horticultural fleece during unusually severe frost.

• Plant as an informal evergreen boundary hedge in a mild coastal garden.
• Use behind lavender, catmint or hardy geraniums for a glossy green backdrop and soft summer colour.
• Combine with other salt-tolerant shrubs to form a mixed coastal screen.
• Grow as a rounded specimen beside a sunny terrace, allowing room for its mature width.

Garden styles it suits: Coastal, English country, Cottage garden, Traditional, Pollinator garden and Pastel border.

Plant it with: Lavender, Catmint, Hardy geranium, Rock rose, Shrubby cinquefoil and Mexican orange blossom.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and other insects. A lightly pruned, dense hedge can offer shelter for small birds; check for active nests before pruning.

• Escallonia leaf spot causes dark spots, yellowing and sometimes severe leaf drop. Collect fallen leaves, improve airflow and avoid overhead watering; replace persistently affected plants with a less susceptible shrub.
• Frost and cold winds can scorch leaves and kill shoot tips. Choose a sheltered site and prune damaged growth only after spring growth begins.
• Waterlogged soil can cause root decay and dieback. Improve drainage or move the plant to a better-drained position; do not keep watering a wilting plant if its soil is already wet.
• Scale insects may cause sticky honeydew and sooty mould. Inspect stems and leaf undersides, remove small infestations by hand and use a locally approved treatment if necessary.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No particular toxic part is recognized, but it is not an edible plant and substantial ingestion may cause stomach upset.

• Ivey's escallonia (Escallonia 'Iveyi')

  Usually grows larger and has white flowers without the characteristic pink flush of 'Apple Blossom'.

• Flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)

  Has larger, lobed, deciduous leaves and hanging flower clusters in spring, rather than small glossy evergreen leaves and summer flowers.

Escallonia commemorates the botanist Antonio Escallón, while 'Apple Blossom' describes the flowers' soft pink-and-white colouring.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer and root them in a free-draining propagation mix under cover. Use cuttings to retain the cultivar's characteristics; seedlings will not reliably come true.

Accepted botanical name

Escallonia

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.