Purple hopseed bush

Dodonaea viscosa ‘Purpurea’

Description

The Hopseed bush is one of the most popular screen plant choices for use in the Inland Empire. It has an evergreen habit and can be grown as large shrubs or small trees, reaching heights of 12-18 ft. while spreading 6-12 ft. wide. Foliage is comprised of long narrow leaves, 3-4 in. long, to 1/2 in. wide. Flowers are inconspicuous, but large numbers of pinkish seed capsules provide accent character in spring.

Hopseed bush is a tough and adaptable plant that tolerates heat, cold, and many types of soils. It can be grown throughout the Inland Empire where it is valued for its rapid growth rate. It can be clipped or trained into a low branched tree and is widely used as a screen and slope plant. The purple leaved cultivar, D. viscose ‘Purpurea’ is the most popular choice for gardens and landscapes due to its rich burgundy-purple foliage. These plants can be relatively short-lived, 10-15 years in some instances, particularly if overwatered.

Plant Type: Shrub
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Upright, Low-branching, Dense
Growth Rate: Fast
Foliage Color: Medium green, Purple
Flower Color: Insignificant
Flower Season: Insignificant
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Silt, Loam, Clay
Exposure Adaptations: Frost, Aridity, All day sun, Heat
Function: Hedge, Slopes, Screening, Foliage accent plant, Banks, Background plant
Height: 12 ft. – 18 ft.
Width: 6 ft. – 12 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 2

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 2 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another two weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
To save water, in many cases you can go longer in between waterings during the winter, often up to 3-4 weeks between watering for well-established plants. Two weeks after watering, check the soil approximately 4” below the surface. If it is still significantly moist, you can wait longer before watering again.
In most cases, if you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, you may use these features to save some water in in the fall and winter. If you are using automatic weather adjusting functions, continue to allow the timer to run every two weeks. It will adjust the number of minutes it runs to account for the cooler weather.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.

Dodonaea has a compact and even form, requiring very little maintenance in most situations. When used as a billowy hedge, prune or lightly shear as necessary, ideally winter through spring (S, 18). It can also be pruned and trained as a small tree by selectively removing lower branches (5). Main pruning of any stems or branches for removal is best done in late fall or early winter (18). References

Purple hopseed bush

Description

Watering Schedule: Low 2

Important Notes

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Purple hopseed bush

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