Photinia × fraseri ‘Robusta Compacta’

‘Robusta Compacta’ sits neatly between the classic ‘Red Robin’ and the dwarf ‘Little Red Robin’, giving you a tighter habit and smaller leaves than ‘Red Robin’ but with far more substance than the dwarf.

New leaves emerge a bright red-orange in spring and again after each trim, maturing to glossy dark green. Panicles of small white flowers appear in summer. Expect a height and spread around 1.5 to 2m, and regular clipping keeps it shorter if needed.

Plant in well-drained, fertile soil in full sun or partial shade. Slightly acidic to neutral pH suits it best, but it adapts to most soils. Responds well to shaping, so it’s a favourite for clipped hedges, topiary balls, and pleached screens.

A brilliant all-rounder for a lower evergreen hedge, a pair of clipped standards, or a tight structural shrub near the house.