Plant Library

Other Names:  Looking Glass Plant

Description:

Glossy, emerald green foliage takes on hues of dark burgundy red as the season progresses into fall and winter; an extraordinary variety, perfect for shaping into topiaries or hedges; visually stunning

Ornamental Features

Karo Red Mirror Bush has attractive burgundy-variegated dark green foliage with hints of purple which emerges light green in spring on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. The small glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. The smooth khaki (brownish-green) bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Karo Red Mirror Bush is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and can be pruned at anytime. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Karo Red Mirror Bush is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Karo Red Mirror Bush will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Karo Red Mirror Bush makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.