Chinese Fringe-flower                lo-ro-PET-a-lum chi-nen-SE

• Broadleaf evergreen shrub, to 6-10 ft (2-3 m) high, with a similar spread.   Leaves alternate, simple, ovate-rounded, 2.5-6 cm long, apex pointed, leaf base oblique, margin finely toothed to entire, dark green above, paler and pubescent below.  Flowers fragrant, perfect, with four cream to white strap-shaped petals, 20 mm long and 2 mm wide.  Fruit woody capsule, nut-like, to 12 mm diam., apparently uncommon in cultivation.
• Sun to part shade. Acidic, well-drained soil.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 7      Native to China and a single locality in Japan.
• Some of the more popular cultivars have reddish-purple leaves and pink to reddish flowers and are considered variations of L. chinense var. rubrum.
• Loropetalum: from Greek loron, thong, and petalon, petal, alluding to long narrow petals. chinense: of China.