Redclaws

How to grow Redclaws

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Plant in spring so it settles before winter. It tolerates salt-laden wind well and is a standard hedging shrub in coastal gardens; inland and in cold areas it needs shelter and can be cut back by hard frost. Space hedging plants at 45-60 cm.

Pruning

Trim a hedge after the main flowering flush, or prune informal specimens by removing a proportion of the older stems after flowering. It reshoots from old wood, so overgrown plants can be renovated hard in spring.

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings in late summer root readily.

Pests and diseases

Escallonia leaf spot has become widespread in the UK and causes heavy leaf drop and thinning hedges; there is no effective cure, so improve airflow, clear fallen leaves and accept some loss. Badly affected hedges are often replaced with another species.

Value to wildlife

The long flowering season gives bees a reliable nectar source through summer, and evergreen hedging offers nesting cover.

Notes

Given the prevalence of leaf spot, be realistic about planting a new escallonia hedge inland - it remains a sound choice on the coast, where salt tolerance is hard to match, but less so elsewhere.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Escallonia rubra but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Escallonia