Culture
Winter hardy to USDA Zones 7-9 where it is easily grown in average, consistently moist, well-drained soils in full sun. Appreciates some part afternoon shade at the heat of the day in hot summer climates.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Escallonia x rigida, commonly called escallonia, is a dense evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub that typically matures to 6-8’ tall and to 3-6’ wide. It is a hybrid resulting from a cross between E. virgate (deciduous) and E. rubra (evergreen), both parents being native to Chile and Argentina. E. x rigida features alternate, simple, narrow, toothed, dark green leaves (each to 1” long) which have tiny resinous glands spotting the undersides. Scarlet to rosy red flowers (each to 1/2” across) bloom in short terminal racemes in late spring to mid-summer, primarily during June-July but sometimes continuing sporadically into late summer.
E. x langleyensis is a synonym. It was raised in 1897 at the branch of the Veitch Nursery located in Langley in southeastern England. However, it was subsequently determined that a wild plant of the same parentage was discovered in 1894 and given the name of E. x rigida. Under the first-in-time rule of nomenclature, E. x rigida stands today as the proper botanical name for this hybrid.
Genus name honors Senor Escallon, an 18th century Spanish traveler in South America.
Hybrid name from Latin means rigid.
Problems
No known serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
Hedge. Shrub borders. Foundations.