Distylium Linebacker

Distylium 'Linebacker' is an evergreen bush that is still very little used in our gardens despite its many qualities. With dense and well-occluding vegetation throughout the year, it resists diseases and tolerates pruning, drought and heat, while also accommodating moist soils. In mild climates, this hybrid is an excellent alternative to laurel, boxwood or other thuja for creating a beautiful privacy screen or windbreak. Elegant with its glossy foliage of fairly fine texture, this cousin of Hamamelis also offers red young shoots and dark red flowers in winter. Hardy down to -15°C, it prefers sun in the north, partial shade in hot climates, and only dislikes excessively chalky soils.

Distylium Linebacker PP25,984 is a horticultural hybrid obtained by cross-breeding between Distylium myricoides and Distylium racemosum, two species native to eastern and southeastern Asia belonging to the hamamelidaceae family. It blooms in winter (February-March), with axillary clusters of small petal-less flowers, composed of reddish-brown stamens. This moderately fast-growing distylium forms a bush reaching about 2.70 m (8 ft 11 in) in height and 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in width. Its habit is dense and slightly spreading. Its evergreen foliage consists of small, leathery, entire, alternate, obovate to lanceolate leaves, reddish-copper in spring, becoming dark green for the rest of the year. They resemble laurel leaves in shape, but are disease-free.

Distylium Linebacker will naturally find a place in an informal or trimmed hedge, as well as in a shrub border. In an evergreen hedge, it can be associated with viburnum tinus, Japanese spindle trees, Portuguese laurel Brenelia, and photinias, for example. In a mixed hedge or border, it can be mixed with forsythias, Japanese quinces, Chinese lilacs, botanical roses, privets, or dogwoods to stagger the flowering. It blends well in Japanese gardens, as well as in dry shrub borders, as it tolerates water deficiency in deep soil.

Boxwoods have been experiencing some setbacks for the past ten years, as a spreading disease causes them to wither. Distylium is an excellent alternative that is not susceptible to this pest.