escallonia

( esk - al - LOH - nee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

This family of evergreen shrubs, commonly called Redclaws, needs full sun to partial shade in the warmest climates, and regular waterings. The blooms will  attract butterflies to the garden. These plants are native to mountain ranges of North and South America, and are fast-growing with glossy green leaves that are sometimes fragrant (they have a smell reminiscent of honey). In summertime into fall, small clusters of red, pink or white flowers appear, attracting bees and other pollinators. Escallonia is commonly used for hedges, and do well in coastal areas.

Escallonia Species and Varietals

The genus Escallonia is in the family Escalloniaceae. Escallonia grows best in zones 4-9 and 14-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Escallonia 'Apple Blossom'
This is a dense growing species that reaches 5 feet tall and wide, and has a sprawling habit unless it is pinched back regularly. Flowers are large and pinkish-white.

Escallonia bifida (Escallonia montevidensis) (White Escallonia)
When grown as a shrub, these can grow to 8-10 feet tall and wide, and is useful as a screening plant. When grown as a small tree, it can reach up to 25 feet tall. Leaves are glossy and dark green, and flowers are white, blooming in large clusters at the end of branches. Sometimes sold as Escallonia illinita.

​Escallonia 'C. F. Ball'
This has an upright open growth, to 5-8 feet tall and wide. Tips of branches can be pinched to keep it more compact; at around 3 feet tall and wide. Dark, glossy leaves and rich red flowers.

​Escallonia x exoniensis
This is a hybrid of Escallonia rubra and another species, and reaches 12-20 feet tall and wide. Leaves are dark green on top, lighter underneath. Flowers are white to pale pink and appear in loose clusters at branch tips. Variety 'Frades' (pictured) is a more compact plant, with showy pure pink to rose blooms.

Escallonia 'Jubilee'
A compact grower to 6 feet tall and wide; this species has pinkish-rose flowers. Can be used as an informal hedge or screen (to do so, plant about 4 feet apart).

​Escallonia laevis (Escallonia organensis) (Pink Escallonia)
Leafy, dense shrub that gets to 15 feet tall and wide. Leaves are bronze-green, and flowers are white to pink. Can be used as a large screening plant or trained as a small tree.

​Escallonia 'Newport Dwarf' (Escallonia 'Compakta')
This shrub has a dense uniform growth to 2-3 feet tall and wide. Leaves are shiny and bright green and flowers are rose-red.

​Escallonia 'Pride of Donard'
This shrub has a dense, mounding habit and grows to 5 feet tall and 8 feet wide. Has glossy green leaves and large pink flowers.

​Escallonia 'Red Elf'
This shrub is a spreader with dense growth to 8 feet tall and 12 feet wide. Has dark green, glossy leaves and deep red flowers that bloom in short clusters. 

​Escallonia rubra
This is an upright species that gets 6-15 feet tall and wide. Dark green leaves are very glossy, and flowers are red or crimson in color. Often used as a screen or hedge. Varieties include 'Crimson Spire' (bright crimson flowers), and ​Escallonia rubra macrantha (rose-colored flowers and a sprawling habit).

​Escallonia virgata
A partially deciduous shrub that gets to 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide, and produces pale rose-colored or white flowers. Hardiest species of Escallonia; can take the coldest weather. 

Caring for and pruning Escallonia shrubs

Plant Escallonia shrubs in fall in full sun exposure, in well-draining soil in a place that is sheltered from wind. They prefer a pH of between 6.75 and 7.5, and like to receive regular waterings, even after they have been established. Prune twice a year, once at the end of winter to shape and once (a more hard prune) at the end of summer after the blooming period ends to rejuvenate. Feed with a balanced fertilizer each year in spring to jump-start growth and flowering. Other than these few easy care activities, Escallonia shrubs do not require maintenance.

Propagation

Escallonia can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Escallonia by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Escallonia by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows. 
  2. Harvest your seeds in late summer or early fall. Seeds will be ready to be collected after flowers fade and the seed pods become dry and break open.
  3. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

​Escallonia seed pods are left behind after flowers fade.

Problems and Pests

Escallonia shrubs are rarely bothered by pests or disease.
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Gallery

Grow Escallonia as a hedge along driveways or fences.
Use Escallonia shrubs to fill in and add texture and color to planting beds.
These shrubs are at home in cottage-style gardens.

Videos

How to prune Escallonia shrubs.
How to plant Escallonia shrubs in your garden.

Resources

Escallonia Plant Care - How to Grow Escallonia Shrubs
Escallonia: A Shrub of Great Beauty
Wikipedia: Escallonia
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Pages 309 - 310, Escallonia
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