Lophomyrtus ralphii Red dragon

Lophomyrtus x ralphii 'Red Dragon' is an interesting small shrub for its colourful foliage in shades of red that persists in winter. In spring and summer, it is pink-red and becomes dark burgundy red in autumn and winter. Its summer flowers deliver many small white-cream myrtle flowers, which seem to sparkle against the mass of foliage. Grown on a well-protected terrace from the elements, it creates a gently exotic ambiance when planted with other plants from the antipodes. This relative of the myrtles, dense and evergreen and of a modest size, is a vibrant yet distinguished plant that thrives in the ground in very mild climates and in humus-rich sandy soil, which can be slightly calcareous and cool in summer. Elsewhere, it can be cultivated like a citrus plant, in a large pot, to be stored frost-free in winter.

Lophomyrtus 'Red Dragon' is a small shrub from the Myrtaceae family. It belongs to a series of hybrids and are a result of cross-breeding between the only two species in the genus, Lophomyrtus bullata and Lophomyrtus obcordata, both native to New Zealand.  'Red Dragon' is a well-branched shrub that will reach about 1.50m (4 ft 11 in) in height and 1m (3 ft 4 in) in width by the age of 10. Its growth is moderately fast and its habit is naturally dense, branching, slightly upright, and very bushy. The small, evergreen, shiny, ovate-rounded, leathery leaves with a blistered appearance give off a slight aroma when crushed. They emerge with a bright pink-red color and darken as they mature and as temperatures drop. They produce very honey-rich blooms generously in June-July. The small globular flowers, 1cm (0.4 in) in diameter, are white to ivory, slightly fragrant, with 4 petals surrounding prominent stamens. They appear in the axils of the leaves, on the current year's shoots, and are followed in autumn by the formation of a few small round, fleshy fruits that turn a beautiful red-pink colour when ripe.

Hardy to about -6°C (21.2 °F), Lophomyrtus 'Red Dragon' is a charming terrace and orangery plant in cold climates. In a greenhouse or conservatory, it will create an extremely decorative group with an orange tree, a Leucadendron, and a Mimosa, evoking landscapes with exotic charm and fragrance. In mild climates, it can be used as a standalone plant, a low hedge - it tolerates pruning well - or in a flower bed, alongside Leptospermum, Boronia, or even Eriostemon. It can also be planted in an evergreen hedge, accompanied by a sarcococca, a spring-flowering broom, dwarf rhododendrons in non-calcareous soil, or red-flowering callistemons (Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens').