One thing we know we can count on in the South is that it’s going to get hot. It is useful to include plants in your landscape that can handle the hot and dry conditions.

Loropetalum is a drought-tolerant plant that adds rich color and charm to your landscape. There are many selections available, ranging from large shrub/small tree sizes on down to dwarf and trailing varieties.

One of loropetalum’s excellent landscape qualities is its evergreen foliage. The common species has green foliage. I love the burgundy-leaf varieties that have the best color when grown in full sun. Their leaves can turn a green color when grown in shade.

Loropetalums are in the witch hazel family and have flowers that look like fringe and resemble winter-blooming witch-hazel flowers. Loropetalum usually begins blooming in early spring and then blooms sporadically through the rest of the summer.

The green-leaved varieties typically have white flowers, while the dark-burgundy-leaved selections have pink to red flowers.

I have several favorite varieties of loropetalum, and Cerise Charm loropetalum is at the top of my list.

Cerise Charm is a compact dwarf selection that boasts intense burgundy-purple foliage year-round. Even in the unforgiving heat of the Southeast, it keeps its color all summer. Hot-pink fringe flowers in the spring are a stunning contrast to the foliage. After flowering, bright reddish-maroon new leaves emerge, and these deepen in color to a dark plum as they mature.

This loropetalum forms a dense mound 2 to 3 feet high and wide. Little pruning is needed other than to maintain size and shape.

This drought-tolerant and low-maintenance shrub is sure to provide rich color and beauty in the sunny or partly shady landscape. It generally produces the best flowers and leaf colors in sunny locations.

Cerise Charm is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 7b to 11 and makes a fine landscape plant throughout Mississippi.

It tolerates many soil conditions, especially with some extra attention at planting. Amend native soil with good organic matter when filling in the hole to give the roots a good base to grow into. A common mistake gardeners make with loropetalum is planting the root ball too deep. Never plant deeper than the top of the soil line in the container, and dig the hole at least twice as wide as the container.

For those who have problems with deer eating your plants, Cerise charm is known for being deer resistant.

This shrub has many versatile uses and looks great in containers as well as the landscape. If you are looking for a shrub to provide color all year, Cerise Charm loropetalum is a great choice.