Propagating Photinia: How the professionals do it

Devil's Dream® - From chance seedling to dream in fiery red

It sounds crazy, but the story of the brand new, fiery red Photinia Devil's Dream® can be traced back almost a hundred years! And here's how it went... 1943, Birmingham, Alabama: The beginning of a success story.

Oliver "Ollie" Fraser was the owner of a thriving nursery in the southern United States. With passion, he took care of propagating ornamental shrubs, including Photinia species. One day, he collected seeds of the Asian species Photinia serratifolia (serrated leaf Photinia) and planted them in the soil. When the seedlings grew, Fraser was quite surprised: what emerged were unusually fast-growing shrubs that also displayed a never-before-seen, brightly red foliage! This "big bang" happened in 1943. Soon after, experts discovered that Fraser's accidental seedling was a cross between Photinia serratifolia and neighboring Photinia glabra (Japanese Photinias), both evergreen species.

"Fraser's Glanzmispel", the first red-leaved variety

Fraser named the groundbreaking hybrid that had come to him so easily after himself: Photinia fraseri. Since then, this wonderful plant has made its triumphant journey around the world. Loved by all gardeners for its rapid growth, low maintenance, and spectacular red shoots, Fraser's Glanzmispel (red-leaved Photinia) has become popular worldwide.

Over time, many different varieties have been bred from this "ancestor" of all red-leaved Photinias. One of the earliest was the Australian Robusta. Red Robin, a widely spread variety today, originates from New Zealand. Many nurseries propagate this Glanzmispel.

Devils Dream rote Pflanzen im Gewächshaus-Tunnel Seiteneinblick

Fiery red descendant of Frasers' chance seedling: Devil's Dream®

Devil's Dream® also has a representative that originates from one of the most famous nursery regions in Germany, and even in Europe: Ammerland. Nurseries throughout Germany and the Netherlands propagate this variety of Japanese photinia. It is characterized by its fiery red foliage when it emerges and its particularly dense branching. Devil's Dream® was bred by the nursery Manfred Behrens, where it is propagated through cuttings.

Devils Dream rote Pflanzen im Gewächshaus-Tunnel

Devil's Dream® – Handcrafted Photinia propagation

In the Manfred Behrens nursery, high-tech meets manual labor. First, the employees carefully cut the Devil's Dream® cuttings. The resulting young plants are nurtured and cared for until they reach a size of about 20 cm.

Until then, the work is mostly automated. The plants are placed in 5-meter high high-tech tunnels, where self-propelled pruning machines can directly access them. Even the ventilation is fully automated. "All of this saves us long distances and allows us to work with machines for potting, care, and shipping," says owner Manfred Behrens. Another plus: the perfectly controlled growth conditions guarantee consistently high plant quality.

Devils Dream grüne Pflanzen im Gewächshaus-Tunnel

After propagation, comes the growing phase

This high level of quality is also valued by the approximately 40 German and Dutch nurseries that acquire the young plants from Behrens. They repot them and nurture them until they reach a minimum height of 50 cm. Some nurseries keep their Devil's Dream® plants until they reach a size of 1.50 to 2.00 meters. Only then do these fiery red Japanese photinias go on sale - Welcome to your garden!