Photinia (Photinia × fraseri), most often sold as 'Red Robin', is an evergreen shrub prized for its bright red young shoots, which turn green as they mature – every trim triggers a new flush of colour. That makes it a popular alternative to thuja or cherry laurel for hedges: it is dense, tolerates clipping well and adds colour that conifers lack. Plant in April or early autumn in a sunny to partly shaded spot with free-draining, moderately moist soil (pH 5.5–7.0), about 60–80 cm apart for a hedge; it does not tolerate waterlogging. Water regularly for the first two years, after which it copes with short dry spells. It is less frost-hardy than thuja, so protect young plants with fleece in their first winters, especially against cold wind and winter sun. In wet summers it is prone to Entomosporium leaf spot, red-brown spots that can lead to leaf drop; give plants enough space for air to circulate and water at the roots, not over the foliage.