15 Incredible Escallonia Varieties With A Breadth Of Leaves And Flowers
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
- 1) E. ‘Apple Blossom’
- 2) E. bifida
- 3) E. rubra ‘Crimson Spire’
- 4) E. ‘Donard Radiance’
- 5 ) E. ‘Donard Seedling’
- 6) E. ‘Glowing Embers’
- 7) E. laevis ‘Gold Brian’
- 8) E. ‘Golden Carpet’
- 9) E. ‘Iveyi’
- 10) E. ‘Langleyensis’
- 11) E. ‘Peach Blossom’
- 12) E. laevis ‘Pink Elle’
- 13) E. ‘Pride of Donard’
- 14) E. ‘Red Dream’
- 15) E. rubra var. macrantha
- References
Escallonias are typically evergreen shrubs with flowers in whites, pinks or reds and glossy leaves.
Originally hailing from South America, these are pretty hardy plants on the whole, though some are hardier than others.1Escallonia rubra. (n.d.). Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. Retrieved March 15, 2023, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:791101-1
However, it is best to avoid growing them in areas where the temperatures drop below around -5°C.
“Escallonia is a really useful plant for the coastal areas of the western and southern UK where temperatures are more mild on average in winter,” shares Horticulturist Colin Skelly.
“They are tolerant of salt spray, so can make a good shelter belt hedge in coastal locations.”
These shrubs come in various sizes, some useful as screening or in hedges, others good in borders.
When in flower, they are great bee-friendly plants, attracting bees and other pollinators to your garden.
If you are looking for an escallonia to grow, you will soon discover a bewildering array of options on offer.
Here are fifteen of my personal favourites:
1) E. ‘Apple Blossom’
- COMMON NAME: Escallonia ‘apple blossom’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Pink and white
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun / part shade
- EXPOSURE: Exposed / sheltered
This is a compact evergreen shrub which grows up to 2.5m tall with a similar spread.
It has small, dark green, glossy leaves and flowers, 12mm in width, that are borne on short leafy racemes from early summer.
They are pale pink and white.
2) E. bifida
- COMMON NAME: Cloven gum box
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: White
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer / Autumn
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun
- EXPOSURE: Sheltered
Growing to around 3m in height, with a spread of up to 2.5m, this shrub, also known as cloven box gum, has shiny, dark-green leaves.
In late summer and autumn, it bears rounded panicles of pure white flowers with spreading petals.
3) E. rubra ‘Crimson Spire’
- COMMON NAME: escallonia ‘crimson spire’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Red
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer / Autumn
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun / part shade
- EXPOSURE: Exposed / sheltered
A rather vigorous shrub, this option can grow up to around 4m in height and width.
It blooms with beautiful deep red flowers borne in compact racemes in the summer and early autumn.
4) E. ‘Donard Radiance’
- COMMON NAME: escallonia ‘Donard radiance’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Red
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun / part shade
- EXPOSURE: Exposed / sheltered
Small and compact yet vigorous, this evergreen shrub has relatively large, glossy, rounded, deep green leaves.
It bears attractive rose red, chalice-shaped flowers in racemes in early and mid-summer and has a height and spread of up to 2.5m.
5 ) E. ‘Donard Seedling’
- COMMON NAME: escallonia ‘donard seedling’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Pink
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun / part shade
- EXPOSURE: Exposed / sheltered
With a similar height and spread to the above, this option has leather-like, glossy dark green leaves which causes the saucer-shaped white to pale pink flowers to stand out.
These blooms are just a little over 1cm across and open in early summer from buds that are pale pink.
6) E. ‘Glowing Embers’
- COMMON NAME: Escallonia ‘glowing embers’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: Pink
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun
- EXPOSURE: Sheltered
This escallonia is a compact evergreen growing to around 1.2m, notable for the vibrant foliage that gives it its name.
The leaves open yellow and flushed with red before maturing to golden yellow and then mid-green.
In mid to late summer, the plant also bears small clusters of tubular deep pink flowers.
7) E. laevis ‘Gold Brian’
- COMMON NAME: escallonia ‘gold Brian’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: Pink
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun / part shade
- EXPOSURE: Exposed / sheltered
Smallish in size, growing to around 1-1.5m in height and spread, this option has leaves which start off yellow before turning greenish-yellow by summer.
Deep pink flowers bloom from this bushy evergreen shrub in summer.
8) E. ‘Golden Carpet’
- COMMON NAME: escallonia ‘golden carpet’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Red
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun / part shade
- EXPOSURE: Sheltered
This is a dwarf escallonia cultivar that grows to around 60cm tall, spreading to create a good ground cover.
It has small yellow leaves which turn lime green in the summer, and small tubular red flowers which bloom through the summer months.
9) E. ‘Iveyi’
- COMMON NAME: escallonia ‘Iveyi’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: White
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun / part shade
- EXPOSURE: Exposed / sheltered
Growing around 2.5m tall and wide, this escallonia has large, dark green, glossy foliage and bears panicles of pure white flowers that stand out well against the foliage in summer.
10) E. ‘Langleyensis’
- COMMON NAME: escallonia ‘langleyensis’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Pink
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun
- EXPOSURE: Exposed / sheltered
Also growing up to around 2.5m in height and spread, this escallonia has a pleasingly graceful arching habit.
It has small obovate leaves and, in the early summer, bears short leafy racemes of deep rose-pink flowers.
11) E. ‘Peach Blossom’
- COMMON NAME: escallonia ‘peach blossom’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Pink
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun / part shade
- EXPOSURE: Exposed / sheltered
With a height and spread of between 1.5-2.5m, this escallonia has a bushy, evergreen form.
It has small, deep green leaves and bears clusters of clear mid-pink flowers from early in the summer.
12) E. laevis ‘Pink Elle’
- COMMON NAME: escallonia ‘pink Elle’
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERS: Pink
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer / Autumn
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun / part shade
- EXPOSURE: Exposed / sheltered
Relatively compact and growing to around 1-1.5m tall and wide, this evergreen shrub is notable for flowering in summer and again, less prolifically, in the autumn.
The flowers are a lovely vibrant pink in hue, borne in large heads of clustered blooms.
13) E. ‘Pride of Donard’
- COMMON NAME: escallonia ‘pride of Donard’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Red
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun / part shade
- EXPOSURE: Exposed / sheltered
This rather vigorous and spreading shrub grows to around 1.5m in height and breadth.
It has large, deep green, glossy leaves and, from early summer, bears short racemes of vivid rose-red blooms around 15mm across.
14) E. ‘Red Dream’
- COMMON NAME: escallonia ‘red dream’
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Red
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer / Autumn
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun / part shade
- EXPOSURE: Exposed / sheltered
Growing to only around 1m in height and spread, this compact escallonia is an evergreen with petite dark green leaves.
From mid-summer until early autumn, it is covered with small clusters of bright red flowers.
15) E. rubra var. macrantha
- COMMON NAME: Chilean gum box
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERS: Pink
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): Summer / Autumn
- SUNLIGHT: Full sun / part shade
- EXPOSURE: Exposed / sheltered
Good for hedging, this escallonia, also known as Chilean gum box, can grow to around 8m in height and spread.
However, it responds well to pruning and can work well as a hedge.
It has small, dark, glossy leaves and bears loose clusters of pink to dark reddish-pink flowers from mid-summer until the autumn.
Of course, these are just some of the many options of escallonia to choose from, but these varieties could be a good place to start when looking for the right variety for your garden.
