Loropetalum tree- Landscaping

Q: Is there a loropetalum tree? One has been suggested for our landscape but I’ve not been able to find it.

A: We’ve learned a lot about loropetalum in the last fifteen years. The first thing learned was that there is tremendous variation in size among the cultivars. My wife and I finally had to take a chain saw to the “small” variety planted in front of her former house. ‘Zhuzhou Fuchsia’ grows big enough to be pruned as a tree. If you can’t find one shaped like a tree, consider buying this variety as a shrub and pruning the lower limbs to make a tree. It will only take a few years to accomplish.