Chinese fringe flower
Loropetalum chinense
Also called Loropetalum and Fringe flower
Garden plant · ShrubsThe purple-leaved sorts are what everyone buys, and they go muddy green in shade — this is a plant for an open spot or not at all. It wants acid soil and a sheltered corner; cold wind browns it.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 5 daysDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Sun to part shade — the dark forms need sun to stay dark
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — an average winter RHS H4, to -10°C
- Size
- 2 m tall · 2.5 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- China, Japan and the Himalaya
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A dark purple-leaved plant whose new growth comes through muddy bronze-green. It is short of light — the colour is made by sun and no feeding will replace it.Leaves reverting to green · disorder
- Leaves browned and curled along the exposed edge of the bush after a cold dry spell, worst on the newest growth.Wind scorch · disorder