Alternatives To Loropetalums For North Georgia

stem gall distylium

Q: We had a nice stand of loropetalums in Marietta and would like to replicate
a shrub like that here in North Georgia. I’ve read that this is not the ideal
setting due to the potential of winter freeze. Do you think we should plant?

A: The standard literature says loropetalum can survive in zone 7, where the
low temperature could occasionally be 0 degrees. Last year it was 12 degrees
in Blairsville on Jan 22. You can make an informed guess simply by touring
local subdivisions that have been built in the last twenty years. The purple
leaves of loropetalum are easy to spot. If you don’t see any, you can conclude
that loropetalums may not like a cold Union County winter.

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