Escallonia Pink is an evergreen deciduous shrub that blooms for several months in the summer and fall. Escallonias bloom in the sun and healthy, well-drained soil. The flowers are produced in bunches and range in color from white to pinkish-red. They look great against the oval, glossy leaves. In moderate climates, Escallonias can withstand salt and wind, but they cannot survive in colder climates. Green-leaved escallonias have a fairly strong growth rate and make good screening and hedging plants as well as border plants.
Escallonia is a shrub with lovely flowers that is also very ornamental. The family name of this shrub is Escalloniaceae. Escallonia flowers attract butterflies, bees, and other creatures. These woody shrubs are native to South America and are rather durable, however, they should not be grown in places where winter temperatures drop below -5°C. The flowering and appropriate growth of Escallonia bushes is heavily influenced by their planting, care, and pruning.
Escallonia Pink Size and Height
The growth of Escallonia shrub is vigorous. It grows rapidly and reaches an extra height of 12 inches annually. Most of the species of this shrub are 5 to 10 feet tall with arched branches. The tallest escallonia varieties reach over 2.5m in height, while the smallest is around a meter tall. The branches of Escallonia Pink are covered by shiny oval-shaped green leaves. These green leaves make the shrub tall and attractive.
Escallonia Pink Care
Escallonias prefer to grow in the shade. They cannot survive in direct sunlight. The majority of escallonia shrubs are frost-sensitive. They bloom in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10, which includes the southern states.
The Escallonias can grow in all forms of soils such as chalk, sand, clay, and loam. It can grow in a wide range of pH levels of the soil. Mixing a liberal proportion of blood, fish, and bone fertilizer into the soil when planting will ensure that the plant has the greatest possible start.
The soil should have good drainage and be kept free of weeds for the first year, as Escallonia prefers a damp but not soggy environment. The first two years are crucial from the development point of view. After two years watering should be stopped unless the plant suffers from a certain disease such as escallonia leaf spot or if it is in a drought.
It is best to plant the escallonia in the fall to encourage root formation before winter and assure optimal spring growth. It can also be planted in the spring, but it is important to make sure that the new shrub gets enough water at first.
Escallonia Pink Propagation
Escallonia Pink is propagated through hardwood cuttings or softwood cuttings. The following points help in the propagation of escallonia pink.
- Cutting with scissors or sterilized gardening shears should be preferred.
- Take softwood cuttings from a healthy escallonia plant in the spring.
- Examine new growth with many sets of immature leaves.
- A minimum of 4 inches should be cut from the wood.
- After removing the leaves from the bottom of the plant, cut the plant.
- Fertilizers should be stored in a container or a cold frame in an unheated greenhouse.
- For the first growing season, keep the young plants well-watered.
- When new growth appears, it means the escallonia cutting has taken root and the cover can be removed.
Escallonia Pink Pruning
Other than an annual mild prune to remove any dead or damaged stems, established escallonia requires little pruning. After the last frosts of winter have passed, but before the beginning of the new growth, mid-late April is the best time to prune escallonia. New plants will be protected against frost damage as a result of this.
If the escallonia pink is grown as a hedge, it is required to reshape it to allow sunshine to reach the base and maintain it green and healthy. To ensure light reaches the bottom leaves, cut the hedge into a pyramid form, with a broader base than the top, and thin out any condensed branches.
If a gardener aims to remove around one-third of the old wood. He/She should remove any dead or crowded shoots, and thin out any crowded shoots. After pruning, mulch and feed the plant to help it develop and flower that season. If a gardener wants to propagate the escallonia that year, then trimming it back more aggressively than usual to induce new growth becomes essential.
Hence, Escallonia is a fast-growing plant that needs to be pruned once or twice a year to maintain a healthy yield.
