Vintage Jade Distylium

Vintage Jade™ Distylium creates a low evergreen sweep with glossy dark green foliage and layered branching. Distylium x 'Vintage Jade' grows about 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide, forming a broad spreading mound that covers ground without looking stiff. New leaves emerge light green before maturing to deep green, and small maroon-red flowers appear along older stems from late winter into early spring. We use it where boxwoods or other clipped evergreens have struggled with pests, disease, or summer stress.

This interspecific hybrid has a naturally horizontal branch pattern that makes mass plantings look full with very little shaping. Vintage Jade™ Distylium is evergreen, heat tolerant, deer resistant, disease resistant, and drought tolerant once established. It can also handle consistently moist soil better than many broadleaf evergreens, as long as the site drains well. Plant it as a foundation shrub, low hedge, slope cover, large-scale groundcover, border anchor, or container specimen for warm-zone landscapes.

Vintage Jade™ Distylium Care

Plant Vintage Jade™ Distylium in full sun to partial shade, with sunnier sites encouraging denser growth. It grows best in rich, moist, well-drained soil with good organic content. Acidic to slightly acidic soil is preferred, though this shrub adapts to many average garden soils when drainage is dependable.

Water thoroughly after planting to settle the root ball into the site. Continue to keep the root zone moderately moist while the plant establishes the first year. Once established, Vintage Jade™ Distylium tolerates drier periods, but occasional deep watering during long summer heat helps maintain dense foliage. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced slow-release shrub fertilizer if growth is light or the soil is lean. Mulch 2 to 3 inches deep over the root zone, keeping mulch pulled away from the stems.

Pruning is usually minimal because Vintage Jade™ Distylium has a naturally layered shape. Trim after the late winter to early spring bloom if you need to shorten stray branches or tighten a hedge. For a formal look, shear lightly and often rather than cutting hard into older interior wood.

Vintage Jade™ Distylium Spacing

Space Vintage Jade™ Distylium 3 to 4 feet apart for a solid hedge, mass planting, or slope cover. Allow 5 to 6 feet between plants when each shrub should keep its own spreading outline. For containers, choose a pot at least 18 to 22 inches wide with drainage holes, and use a moisture-retentive but well-drained potting mix.

In warm foundation beds, combine Vintage Jade™ Distylium with nandina and camellia for evergreen structure in acidic soil. Daylilies can line the sunny front edge, adding summer flowers against the distylium’s low dark foliage. In large containers, use petchoa or star flower near the rim for seasonal color around the evergreen mound.

Vintage Jade Distylium Information