Daruma Compact Loropetalum. We brought 'Daruma' back from Japan in the early 2000's, and it came out of the breeding program of one of our dear nursery friends, Mr. Suzuki. Its acceptance has been nothing short of remarkable. If grown in full sun it can be kept quite compact at 2-4' and maintains its burgundy leaf color much better, but if planted in the shade, it will become straggly, loose and open with poor color. Here again, this is a cultivar that can be maintained at just about any desired size with a minimum amount of pruning or shearing. The new growth in the spring is a good burgundy, but as the season progresses, the deep color will fade somewhat. This is one of the best landscape subjects for drought tolerance and lack of pests. We have never experienced deer damage with any of the Loropetalums. The cultivar name of 'Daruma' is given to many Japanese plants that are somewhat dwarf. I looked the name up and Daruma was a 14th century Japanese warrior. Maybe he was small!
Zones 7-9
