Loropetalum chinense Black Pearl - Chinese Witch Hazel

The Loropetalum chinense Black Pearl is a modest-sized Chinese Loropetalum, high in colours, with dense vegetation, that finds a place in all gardens. This small bush is magnificent in early spring, when its foliage of an almost black, purple comes alive with curious flowers of a very bright pink-red. While it proves hardy and relatively tolerant to heat and drought once well established, it nevertheless prefers mild climates that spare its foliage in winter and are cool in summer and non-chalky soils. 'Black Pearl' will also make a nice specimen to be placed in a beautiful pot on the terrace or balcony.

The Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, or Chinese Loropetalum with purple leaves, is a bush of the Hamamelidaceae family, as recognised by its flowers with 4 long ribbon-like petals that resemble those of Witch-hazels. It is native to the forests and copse of the Himalayas, in China, and in the northern and eastern regions of India, where it grows up to 1200m (3937ft) altitude.

'Black Pearl' is a recent cultivar of this shrub, with a bushy and beautifully rounded habit, supported by well-branched and slightly arched stems. It will reach an average maturity of 1.0 m(3.3ft) in all directions. Its foliage persists in mild climates during winter. The leaves, entire and ovate, 2 to 5 cm long, are red when they first emerge, then take on a very dark purple-violet shade, almost black, before gradually turning bronze-purple to dark bronze-green in winter. Leaves in shade tend to be greener than those exposed to sunlight, even in full summer. The abundant, nectar-rich flowering occurs in March-April, more or less early depending on the climate. It lasts about 2 weeks and can recur sporadically through summer. The flowers in groups of 3 to 6, in the axil of the leaves all along the branches. They are composed of 4 slightly twisted, magenta-red, ribbon-like petals and are lightly fragrant. The 'flashy' tone of the flowers creates a magnificent contrast with the dark colour of the foliage.

Loropetalum are in vogue; beautifully coloured, well-suited for pot cultivation and compact, they appeal to urban gardeners as well as lovers of English gardens. They stand out in spring scenes, beautifully coloured when the garden has very few blooms. Its flowers are also a good source of nectar for bees early in the season. While it is relatively hardy once well established, young plants can suffer below -6/-7°C (21.2/19.4°F), they will need protection from heavy frost in the north. You can grow it in pots in cold regions, in ericaceous fertile soil, protected over winter. This 'Black Pearl' variety can be used in a small natural hedge, or within a planting of ericaceous shrubs with staggered flowering: camellias, heather bushes, Chinese azaleas, and small-sized andromedas and hydrangeas, for example.