Garden Guru: Jazz Hands loropetalums come in 6 options to fit in your garden

Jazz Hands Variegated loropetalum, an award-winning shrub, puts a song in your spirit and will add that artist’s touch to the garden.

The first time I saw Jazz Hands Variegated, I thought it was a beautiful new Snowbush. Snowbush, known botanically as Breynia disticha, is native to the western Pacific islands and tropical hardy to zones 10-11. If you are a tropical plant nut, you know the plant. You’ve probably grown it and labored to protect it during the winter months.

Imagine when I discovered this was a loropetalum, or Chinese fringe flower, cold hardy to zone 7. The same Loropetalum chinense we have all been planting for years, but with colorfully variegated new growth that is white and pink with mature growth purple, and sporting hot pink flowers. It will get 4 to 6 feet tall with a 4-foot spread.

That size may just speak volumes if you have been growing loropetalums for any length of time. Right now in late October, I have one blooming that is 20 feet tall. Now, I will say it is stretching for sunlight a little. Everywhere I go, however, I find gardeners who planted varieties of the first loropetalums as little shrubs by the front door and they reached redbud stature.

The Jazz Hands series of loropetalums from Proven Winners features six selections that let you choose the color and size to perfectly fit the location. Jazz Hands Mini, for instance, is great for planting by the front door, placing in a small container or growing in the front of the border. It only reaches 12 inches tall with a 36-inch spread. It is evergreen, or should we say “ever purple,” with purple flowers.

Slightly taller is Jazz Hands Dwarf, which reaches 36 inches tall with an equal spread. This variety is among the industry leaders for those loropetalums with a smaller habit. But if you want to go big and bold, then Jazz Hands Bold is nothing short of stunning.

This loropetalum sports dark purple evergreen foliage that is larger, slightly round, and flowers that are the largest in the green industry. It is indeed bold, reaching 6 feet tall and as wide. While this is large, it is still a most manageable size to incorporate in the landscape.

The Jazz Hands series also has two white-flowered varieties. Jazz Hands Night Moves reaches 4 feet tall and wide and might be considered architectural in that it sports new growth that is a variegated white dark green and purple with pure white blooms. If you haven’t found a white you like, then Jazz Hands Mini is for you. It has dark green leaves and pristine white blooms while reaching 3 feet tall and as wide.

All of these are cold hardy from zones 7-10, meaning they can take 0 to 5 degrees. Those of you plagued by deer will be delighted to know these are not on the menu. No matter what loropetalum you choose, they perform best in full sun to part shade. In the Deep South, a little afternoon shade is even better for creating a lush look and maintaining those incredible colors of Jazz Hands Variegated.

Plant them in well-drained, organic-rich beds that are slightly acidic. When planting loropetalums, or any other shrub, put them in a well-prepared bed instead of sticking them in a patch of turf. Like we suggest with azaleas, plant them high, 1 to 2 inches above the soil surface, and by all means finish the job with an application of mulch.

Fall is an ideal time to plant loropetalums, as their roots will get acclimated in the soil even as temperatures start to cool. Consider partnerships in the landscape with dogwoods and informal drifts of daffodils. Obviously, they would be great in informal clusters with white, lavender or pink Bloom-a-Thon azaleas.

Norman Winter is a horticulturist and national garden speaker. He is a former director of the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens. Follow him on Facebook at Norman Winter “The Garden Guy.”