Collection: Escallonia Plants

Escallonia plants are flowering shrubs that originated in South America. They have small, fragrant flowers in shades of red, pink or white, and are often used as hedging plants or in borders.

Escallonia is ideal for the UK weather, being fully hardy in most areas. It’s also salt tolerant, so it’s a good choice for coastal areas too.

The best spot for your escallonia is a sunny or partially shaded area with at least six hours of sunlight daily (you’ll get the best flowers if it’s in full sun). It’s fine in most soil types, even sand or clay, as long as they’re fairly well draining. Escallonia thrives in full sun to partial shade. It prefers well-drained soil but can tolerate a range of soil types, including sandy and clay soils. Plant it in a location where it will receive at least 4-6 hours of sunlight daily for optimal growth and flowering.

To plant your escallonia, dig a hole slightly deeper than the root ball and twice as wide. Place the plant in the middle of the hole with the top of the root ball level with the soil, then fill in and firm down the soil around the base of the plant before giving your new escallonia a good watering.

Newly planted escallonias should be watered regularly until they’re established (after about a year). After that, they’re pretty drought tolerant and will only need watering during hot or dry weather.

Escallonia pruning time is after flowering in late summer. They don’t need heavy pruning - just remove any dead, diseased or damaged wood and give your plant a light trim to keep it in shape.

Escallonia is very versatile - use it on its own as a specimen plant in a flower bed, with perennials in a border or as hedging.

With its dense foliage and fragrant flowers, escallonia is attractive to pollinators including bees and butterflies, as well as providing shelter for birds, insects and small mammals.

Smaller escallonia varieties thrive in pots and make an attractive patio feature. Choose a large container with drainage holes in the bottom and remember to water it more frequently as soil can dry out quickly in containers.

Escallonia has a moderate growth rate, putting on about 30-45cm each year, depending on the growing conditions. Rest assured, it can be pruned to keep it small if needed.

Escallonia is an evergreen plant, keeping its lovely glossy leaves all year round and providing much needed winter interest (or hedge coverage) in the garden.