The plant genus is over rated and is a dud in the PNW.

Really? The whole genus? Could you say more? I've seen some very nice specimens, can't remember precisely where, but I know I have...

I went to multiple nurseries over the last two weeks Le Tour Des Plants and do not recall seeing any Loropetalums anywhere but I wasn't looking for them either.

Try Shorty's in Vancouver, it is on Mill Plain right off the I205. They don't charge tax for Oregon shoppers and their prices are a bit lower than Portland Nursery or Al's most of the time.

I've had pretty good luck in Seattle area with mine -- though very slow growing. I found mine on Ebay so it was shipped pretty small. That was two years ago and it's about two feet high now from the original 8 inches in height. I love it and think it's worth it though not really very hardy. Protect in deep freezes.

Here is a link that might be useful: tallcloverfarm.com

Multiple purple-leaved cultivars being stocked by outlets here. Haven't noticed that particular one, maybe you'll have to look for it over the internet and have one shipped to you from elsewhere.

Mailorder nurseries are kept in business by the fact that no one region has everything. That and people thinking they can't find something where they are, no matter how common it actually is.

Cistus nursery on Sauvie Island has several different kinds listed for it in THE PLANT LOCATOR - WESTERN REGION (2004, Timber Press/Black-Eyed Susans Press, Portland). Maybe they have a similar one to what you are looking for.

Thanks, bboy, tallclover, and buyorsell. EBay, now there's a thought. I've actually kept away from ordering from mailorder, just because of one bad experience with a bareroot tree peony. Maybe I should try again.

I'll try to check down around Salem way tomorrow (it's my birthday, so I'll have good luck, right? :)) and see if I can find my little loropetalum.

Some plants, especially if new have very limited distribution and availability. You have not said where you heard about this one. That might indicate how likely you are to come across it while sniffing around local outlets.

Hm, I found it online, googling "dwarf loropetalum".

Here is a link that might be useful: plantsbymail won't ship to OR

Actually it would be that the states here won't let the supplier ship to us, due to some concern about a pest or pathogen found where the stock would be coming from.

Note that although Purple Pixie is incorrectly presented in quote marks on the page you linked to it is actually a registered trademark and the cultivar name is instead 'Shang Lo'. Perhaps if you have not done so already you can find another source for the plant by searching with the cultivar name.

In addition I see the plant is described there as a weeping variety that grows 5' wide, making the 1'-2' height cutoff suspect. Probably other cultivars more easily found have the same habit, 'Shang Lo' in truth rather soon growing taller than 2'. In the photo the section of foliage shown looks no more pendent than usual for this species. Although the species will in time grow tall in suitable climates comparatively flat, spreading growth seems the norm for cultivars seen here - it has even been used as a hanging basket plant (although perhaps not in this area).

...it originated in the southeast (as might be expected) and so you have to see if any of the multiple sources listing it or listed for it are outside of the Oregon forbidden zone. Otherwise you may have to wait for a wholesale company out here to pick it up, if none have yet or have built up enough stock to offer it.

Interesting info, thanks, bboy. I wasn't sure what was behind the no shipping to those states.

I was thinking of searching for Shang Lo, as well.

Don't quite understand what you mean in the second post, though.

Here is a link that might be useful: here's a pic from a Shang Lo search

I was looking at another cultivar at a local garden center today, even though the cards attached to them said the cultivar grew 6'-10' high the plants in the ~3 gallon pots looked just like the photos online of the one you are looking for: flat-topped, round-leaved, dense and weeping. Another kind right next to these had an uplifted and taller branching habit.

So I think you should just look for this one, which you should be able to find as it is being put out by a large company that many garden centers here buy from.

Here is a link that might be useful: yadda

...same company is showing this one on their web site. Probably it can be found somewhere locally, if not now maybe next year. I may have seen it here, but am not sure. I'm more interested in a different style of loropetalum cultivar, with longer, more pointed leaves - the more purple the better.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Details - Hines Horticulture

...Berberis x media 'Red Jewel'. A hardy arching low semi-evergreen shrub with luscious glossy deep purple leaves. Not always fully covered with foliage but definitely always loaded with spines - sometimes a small shrub likely to be used in frontal positions that can also defend itself is preferable.

Here is a link that might be useful: Google Results

OK OK I live in the southeast. Our Lowes carry this plant you can go to your Lowes and ask them if they would carry it. I don't know if they will the USDA Zone is 7-9. Good Luck.

1) I'd never specifically ask a Lowes, HD or any other box store to order a particular plant for me. Who know what kind of condition it would arrive in.....or when.

2) Loropetalum chinenis is not generally considered to be reliably hardy here. The assumption is the lack of summer heat prevents new growth from ripening adequately to withstand winter cold damage. It is one of those marginal plants that will survive for several winters then up and croak.

3) Because of #2, it's been my experience that pretty much any loropetalum grown in this area will never achieve much size, so could all be considered "dwarf" forms. And they all tend to have a more or less weeping/cascading (rather than upright) habit as well.

4) Many of the better and/or larger garden centers/retail nurseries in this area carry loropetalum in season - 'Zhuzhou', 'Plum Delight' and 'Razzleberry' are ones most frequently seen. I wouldn't even bother to look now as this is not a shrub any local retail nursery wants to try to winter over.

Yep, yep, yep to 1-3 above and there are still some kinds around if you want to risk fall planting of a tender shrub.

I planted 3o of these last year and have been very disappointed. they failed to thirve. Today the manager of one of the major nuseries in Atlanta told me the plant is weak, needs lots of drainage and works best in planters. He said he has returned many from disappointed customers. I just finished digging up what is left of my 30 to take back. My neighbor planted 50 last year and is having the same problem. They are the opposite of the durable, amazingly easy to grow large shrub loropetalum.

I am not a great gardner so i thought it was my error until the manager of pikes told me there were problems. The purple pixie plants I bought were Southern Living plants from Home Depot.

Dwarf and miniature forms of plants often are less robust, require more diligent care than typical. Increased sensitivity to substandard soil drainage is common among these.

Archie's Garden Land in Fort Worth TX has them for $29.99. I know, I bought 5 today.