Distylium Cinnamon Girl #3-Deer Resistant

Distylium ‘Cinnamon Girl’  

We love this plant because in the spring, the new growth emerges in a stunning plum-purple -- like cinnamon -- before fading to a cool blue-green. It’s got style and stamina. This plant is quickly becoming the MVP of the Piedmont landscape. Why? Because it tolerates the two things our weather is famous for: soaking wet springs and bone-dry summers. While many shrubs rot in our heavy clay if it rains too much, the Cinnamon Girl handles wet feet better than almost any other evergreen. It’s nearly bulletproof in Surry and Stokes counties.

Why We Recommend It:

• Goodbye, Blight: If you’ve lost plants to boxwood blight or insects, this is your solution. Distylium is incredibly resistant to the pests and diseases that take down other common foundation plants. You can plant it and practically forget it.

• Classic Colors: The foliage isn't just green; it's a small, refined leaf that starts reddish-purple. It gives your garden a "designer" look without you having to do any actual design work. It looks great against red brick or white siding.

• Naturally Small: Unlike some evergreens that promise to stay small and then eat your porch, ‘Cinnamon Girl’ is actually compact. It naturally grows in a low, spreading mound. You won’t be out there every Saturday morning fighting it back with hedge trimmers.

Best Used For:

• Replacing old, sick boxwoods.

• Low-maintenance foundation plantings.

• Grouping for a low, colorful hedge.

• Areas with poor drainage (where other plants have failed).

The Specs:

• Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast.

• Mature Size: Compact; 2–3 ft tall x 3–4 ft wide.

• Sun/Soil: Full Sun to Part Shade. Highly adaptable to both wet and dry soils.

Looking for more? Check out the full technical details on the NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, or stop by Mitchell’s today and ask us to show them to you.