Plant of the Month – November
0Shiny Xylosma
Xylosma congestum
- Plant Form: Evergreen shrub, tree
- Water Use: Low, Moderate
- Mature Size: 8-15 ft. tall x 10-12 ft. wide
- Exposure: Full sun, part shade
- Bloom Time: Fall (September – November)
- Native to: China, Japan
- Hardiness: Cold hardy to 10°F
Shiny Xylosma is a loose, spreading, graceful, evergreen shrub or small tree with arching branches that is used as a versatile hedge or privacy screen. Its shiny, clean, yellowish green leaves are its most attractive feature; new growth emerges an attractive bronze-red. The small, yellowish flowers are insignificant except to pollinators, who take advantage of its very short bloom season. Xylosma can be trained into a small tree, but accepts shearing to keep it to a smaller size. In age, its angular main stem assumes an artistic zigzag shape, with side branches arching gracefully, sometimes to the ground. Xylosma thrives in desert heat, and is evergreen to 25°F, but root hardy to 10-15°F. This easy-care plant is pool friendly, child friendly, water-wise, and perfect for patios and outdoor living spaces. Often used to break up long fence lines or soften tall walls, in containers, as espaliers, windbreaks, large hedges, foundation plantings, screens, and as background for beds and borders.
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