Why plant Cinnamon Girl® Distylium?
Cinnamon Girl, appropriately named, is a spicy distylium that will bring the heat to your landscape. Extremely cold hardy, Cinnamon Girl is headstrong enough to make it the most cold hardy of all the distyliums. New growth starts a color show of plum-purple foliage that will transform to blue-green once the foliage matures further. With the foliage consisting of small leaves and a compact growing habit, Cinnamon Girl can bring a twist to even formal or small landscapes.
Originating from China, Distylium makes up a small grouping of plants that are actually related to witch-hazel. There were three Distyliums brought over from China that proved to be popular: Distylium myricoides, Distylium racemosum, and a hybrid between the two. It was the hybrid that attracted Dr. Michael Dirr at the University of Georgia to the DNA and reseeding of this hybrid. Some of the seedlings were selected and patented; plant 'PIIDIST-V' was patented in 2017 at Plant Introductions, Inc. and is now the plant that we know as the First Editions Cinnamon Girl Distylium.
How to use Cinnamon Girl® Distylium in the landscape?
Use as a groundcover or a hedge, Cinnamon Girl will be resilient and look great as well. A great substitute for the long-standing boxwood, Cinnamon Girl has an attractive flair that all will love and enjoy for many years. New growth springs up as a pretty plum-purple and as the glossy foliage ages, turns to the well-known blue-green.
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 7-9
How To Plant Cinnamon Girl® Distylium
Cinnamon Girl loves the hot weather and will thrive in areas with the hottest and most humid climates. Plant Cinnamon Girl in a location with full sun or part shade; there is not specific type of soil that is preferred and you can feel confident in planting this distylium in very dry or very wet soil. Keep Cinnamon Girl all natural or give a small haircut to keep a more clean-cut look.
How To Fertilize
Incorporate Elements Starter Plant food granular form into the soil when planting. If planting in spring or summer, start fertilizing late fall using Elements Starter Plant food granular form on an annual basis each late fall. Continue this for the first three years to get your plant well established.