Escallonia
A seaside classic: wind- and salt-tolerant, flowering through summer, and a good informal hedge.
Care
Full sun; excellent in exposed coastal gardens.
Low-medium once established.
Any well-drained soil.
Trim lightly after flowering; hedges can be clipped straight after the main flush.
A balanced feed or mulch in spring.
Softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-ripe cuttings later.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- AprilCut out any wood killed by winter cold.
- AugustTrim after flowering. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- AprilCut out any wood killed by winter cold.
- AugustTrim after flowering. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchCut out any wood killed by winter cold.
- AugustTrim after flowering. how ›
Months based on climate: Central Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchCut out any wood killed by winter cold.
- AugustTrim after flowering. how ›
Months based on climate: Southern Italy and islands. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Dark spots with purple rims; heavy leaf drop.
What to do. Rake up fallen leaves, prune for air flow; choose resistant varieties.
How to spot it. Browned tips in cold inland winters.
What to do. Prune out in spring.
How to spot it. Heavy drop in winter.
What to do. Often leaf spot; sometimes cold.
Questions
Escallonia: is it hardy?
H4: Hardy through an average UK winter. It survives down to −10 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes, compact kinds.
Escallonia: when do you prune it?
Trim lightly after flowering; hedges can be clipped straight after the main flush. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in April, August.
Escallonia: when does it flower?
In the climate of UK it flowers in June–August.
When do you feed it?
A balanced feed or mulch in spring. Feeding months, UK: April.