Escallonia Flowering Shrub

Native to South America, the Escallonia family (Escalloniaceae) contains more than 40 shrubs and trees. Named after the Spaniard Senor Escallon, who traveled through South America, Escallonia thrives in warm temperatures and handles wind and salt spray well, which makes them a perfect landscape addition near coastal areas. Also fast growing, Escallonia flowering shrubs grow well as screen plants or hedges.

An evergreen shrub, Escallonia (Escallonia spp.) bears glossy, dark green leaves that alternate as they grow on woody stems. Wider at the top, the leaves taper toward the base and have serrated edges. Different varieties of these shrubs grow anywhere from 5 to 15 feet tall in a rounded form.

Escallonia produces clusters of white, red or pink flowers on loose, branching flower clusters called panicles during spring, summer and into autumn. In addition, these shrubs attract butterflies and bees. The popular variety Pink Princess (Escallonia x exoniensis ‘Frades’) bears showy pink flowers, while Escallonia rubra bears 1- to 4-inch panicles full of red flowers.

For the best growth, Escallonia requires full sun, well-drained soil, and regular watering. However, according to the University of California, this shrub needs partial shade when growing in very hot climates. In addition to tolerance of salt, wind and drought, Escallonia tolerates a variety of soil types. Hardy to zone 7, Escallonia recovers quickly in cases of frost damage.

The best time to prune back Escallonia shrubs comes right after blooming time. To prune back gangly bushes, cut off no more than 1/3 of the branches. For more general pruning, cut back old flowering growths.

Few pests, with the exception of scale, bother Escallonia. More unsightly than harmful, scale feed on fluids from bark, fruit or leaves. Heavy infestations cause plants to wilt or turn yellow, as well as stunt plant growth. At times Escallonia attracts the soft Chinese wax scale (Ceroplastes spp.) in abundance. In contrast to armored scales, which have a plate-like covering, writes the University of California, soft scales (family Coccidae) have small (1/4 inch or less) bodies of smooth, waxy or cottony texture and excrete a sticky sugar substance called honeydew.

For treatment of scale, a horticultural oil applied between late winter and early summer works well to keep infestations under control. For best results, the spray must cover the entire plant.

No major diseases affect this shrub. However, Escallonia dieback can afflict Escallonia shrubs, causing foliage to wilt, turning yellow or brown. In severe cases, this disease causes branches and even the entire shrub to die. According to the University of California, the best treatment and prevention method for this disease lies in maintaining a proper growing environment and care for your Escallonia shrub.