‘Spring Frost’ Distylium

Distylium hybrid ‘Spring Frost’

Other Names: Spring Frost Evergreen Witch Hazel

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub

Height at Maturity: 2-3′ depending on pruning

Width at Maturity: 3-5′ depending on pruning

Spacing: 3′ for solid hedges; 6’+ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Spreading, Mounding

Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast

Flower Color: Red

Flower Size: .25″

Flowering Period: Winter/Late Winter

Flower Type: Single

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: White new leaves mature to Rich Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color: NA

Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered Sun, Morning Shade with Evening Sun

Water Needs: Average, low when established

Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sandy, Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well-Drained, tolerates consistently moist soils

Soil pH: 5.0 – 6.5 (Acid to Slightly Acidic)

Maintenance / Care: Very Low

Attracts: Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer, Disease, Drought, Dry Soil, Heat, Insect, Consistently Moist Soil

Description

Every once in a while, maybe once in a decade, a new plant comes along that has everything we look for in a hardy and reliable evergreen flowering shrub. Very adaptable, Distyliums, also known as Evergreen Witch Hazel, grow well in sun or part shade and will tolerate dry or wet soils when established, which can’t be said about many shrubs. Very adaptable, Distyliums grow well in sun or part shade and will tolerate dry or wet soils when established, which can’t be said about many shrubs. Heat and humidity don’t phase the plants. We’ve seen no problems with insects and disease and deer turn their nose up to it. In landscape design, Distyliums are a great alternative for boxwood, laurels, holly and juniper in sunny to partially shaded home foundation plantings, landscape borders, and as a soil stabilizer on embankments and slopes.

Befitting its name, ‘Spring Frost’ is a lower growing Distylium that sports outstanding cream-white new growth that lights up the landscape. Petite red flowers emerge along the branches in late winter before new leaves emerge. We love this one around red or purple leaved Japanese maples and Loropetalums and other dark leaved shrubs. No other evergreen plant we’ve seen looks like Spring Frost Distyilium so it’s sure to be a standout in your landscape!

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing in a spreading mound 2 to 3 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide, Spring Frost Distylium is an ideal selection as an accent in small garden spaces or in groupings or as a low hedge in landscape borders and home foundation plantings. it’s bright foliage contrasts beautiful with dark leaved shrubs, especially those with larger leaves. It is also very useful in mass plantings to dress up embankments, hillsides and slopes and where its roots do an excellent job stabilizing soil for erosion control. A fine addition to white theme gardens.

Spacing Suggestions: 3 to 3.5 feet for solid hedges; 6 feet or more for space between plants

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Growing Preferences

Exceptionally adaptable, Spring Frost Distylium is very easy to grow in most any moist to moderately drained soil of average fertility and full sun to part shade. It tolerates more moisture than many other evergreen shrubs and is also tolerant of dry soil conditions when established. We have Distyliums growing in sites that receive 4 hours and up to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day and plants do equally well. That said, the plants in more sun might be a little more dense. Maintenance is minimal unless you want a more formal shape, which will require some pruning.

Helpful Articles

Click on the link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, fertilize, prune and water Distylium shrubs.

How To Plant & Care For Distyliums

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