Read practical advice
Explore straightforward guides for choosing, using and caring for garden products.
Visit the Advice CentreOutdoor plants
Product information
Everything useful in one place, with the most important information kept separate from the buying controls above.
About this product
Photinia × fraseri 'Chico' Standard
Photinia × fraseri 'Chico'
18L pot • Double standard • Approximately 40–50cm head
Plant Highlights: Compact evergreen habit • Brilliant red new foliage • Neatly trained double standard • Year-round structure • Ideal for patios and formal gardens
Overview
Photinia × fraseri 'Chico' is a compact evergreen shrub grown for its vibrant flushes of bright red young foliage, which gradually mature to glossy deep green. Trained as a double standard with a neatly clipped 40–50cm head, it provides an elegant architectural feature that delivers colour and structure throughout the year.
Its naturally compact growth makes it particularly well suited to clipped forms, requiring less maintenance than more vigorous photinia cultivars while still producing repeated displays of colourful new growth. It is equally at home in decorative containers, formal borders or as a pair framing entrances and pathways.
Why We Love It
- Brilliant red new foliage contrasts beautifully with mature green leaves.
- Compact growth makes it easy to maintain.
- Double standard form creates an instant architectural focal point.
- Evergreen foliage provides year-round interest.
- Excellent for formal planting and decorative containers.
Plant Details
| Attribute | Information |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Photinia × fraseri 'Chico' |
| Common Name | Chico Photinia |
| Plant Type | Evergreen shrub trained as a double standard |
| Foliage | Glossy evergreen leaves with vivid red new growth maturing to dark green |
| Flower | Small creamy-white flower clusters if left unclipped |
| Flowering Period | Late spring |
| Fruit | Small red berries may occasionally develop if flowers are not removed |
| Growth Habit | Dense, compact evergreen shrub with rounded clipped heads on clear stems |
| Position | Full sun or partial shade |
| Soil | Fertile, moist but well-drained soil |
| Mature Height | Overall size is maintained by regular pruning of the trained heads |
| Mature Spread | Crown maintained through clipping; each head supplied at approximately 40–50cm |
| Hardiness | Fully hardy in Irish gardens. |
Growing Guide
Position
Grow in full sun or partial shade. A sunny position encourages the brightest red flushes of new foliage while partial shade is also suitable.
Watering
Water regularly during the first growing season to establish a strong root system. Once established, water during prolonged dry spells, particularly if grown in a container.
Soil
Plant in fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. Avoid sites that remain waterlogged.
Hardiness and Winter Care
Fully hardy throughout Ireland. Apply a spring mulch to help retain moisture and encourage healthy growth.
Routine Care
Lightly clip after each flush of growth to maintain the rounded heads and encourage fresh red foliage. Remove any shoots developing from the stems below the trained crowns.
Perfect For
- Formal entrance planting.
- Courtyard gardens.
- Patio containers.
- Contemporary landscapes.
- Evergreen architectural features.
Good to Know
The 40–50cm head refers to the size of the trained crown supplied at the time of sale. Regular light pruning will keep the heads neat and encourage repeated flushes of the colourful young foliage that makes this cultivar so attractive.
Product Information
- Botanical name: Photinia × fraseri 'Chico'
- Trained as a double standard.
- Approximately 40–50cm clipped heads.
- Supplied in an 18L nursery pot.
Growing & care
- Plant type
- shrub
- Position & light
- Full sun· Partial shade
- Watering
- Regularly during the first growing season and during prolonged dry spells
- Soil & drainage
- Well drained
- Flowering
- Late spring· White
- Foliage
- evergreen
Useful to know
Good for containers
Choose with confidence
Find the right plant for your space
Use the Plant Finder, practical advice or our in-store team before deciding.
See it before choosing
Visit Easy Garden to compare products in person and speak with our team.
Plan your visit