Photinia fraseri Camilvy - Christmas Berry

The Photinia 'Camilvy' is a beautiful improvement of the famous 'Red Robin'. Taller and denser, this vigorous Photinia produces young leaves of a brighter red, throughout the year. They contrast beautifully with the mature leaves, which are a shiny dark green. This bush possesses all the qualities of 'Red Robin': undemanding, easy to grow and fast-growing, evergreen, it withstands repeated pruning and adapts to most climates. These characteristics make it an excellent candidate for quickly creating a screen that is both dense and colourful throughout the year. But when left unpruned, 'Camilvy' shows its full potential: adorned with scarlet and green, it produces fragrant spring flowers, in frothy cream-rose umbels, which are very pleasant. So many reasons to plant it in a natural, evergreen or mixed hedge, accompanied by other equally easy-to-grow shrubs!

The Photinia x fraseri or Fraser Photinia is an old horticultural creation, bred in 1940 in the United States. It is the result of cross-breeding between the Photinia glabra, native to Japan, and the Photinia serrulata, native to China. This hybrid has given rise to some famous cultivars, including the New Zealand 'Red Robin', planted on a large scale in parks and gardens and on highway embankments. 'Camilvy' is a Dutch selection from the Peter Van Lieshout Potcultur BV nurseries.

Reaching an average height of 3m (9.8ft) with a spread of 2m (6.6ft), Photinia Camilvy has a very dense, upright habit and grows fairly quickly. Its highly branched foliage remains evergreen throughout the year, composed of tough, glossy leaves. Arranged alternately on the branches, they are about 6-8cm (2.4 - 3.1in) long and 4cm (1.6in) wide, with finely toothed edges. Their colour changes from a very bright red to coppery red, then bronze, and finally bright green and shiny dark green in summer. Pruning promotes the production of red young shoots at the expense of flowering. In March or April (May further north), clusters of small, white flowers appear at the ends of the branches, reaching 10-15cm (3.9 - 5.9in) in diameter. Rich in nectar, they are frequently visited by bees.

In addition to the beauty of its young foliage, the density, hardiness, and adaptability to any type of soil are also interesting features of this Photinia x fraseri Camilvy. It adapts to any well-drained soil, deep, moist to dry in summer, even slightly chalky, in sunny or semi-shaded locations. It is an easy-to-grow and easy-to-maintain shrub that can withstand temperatures down to -15°C (5°F) for a short period. It is ideal for creating trimmed or untrimmed hedges, but it also adapts to container cultivation and is magnificent in flowerbeds. Very ornamental, it can also be planted as a specimen in a medium-sized garden to hide a neglected corner. There are numerous possibilities for associations depending on the region and the taste of each gardener: with other easy-to-grow evergreen shrubs such as Elaeagnus ebbingei, Rhamnus alaternus, Berberis, Olearias, bay or Portuguese laurel, or holly, for example. It also pairs well with other white spring-flowering shrubs such as Spirea or Mock Orange.

Tips: Excessively chalky or clayey soils should be avoided. Pruning for shape is necessary in summer.