Bill Spohn wrote:

Anyone (Pam, this means you) have this and think my newly
rezoned Eastern Tennessee climate of now SEVEN could accomodate this beauty?

I would think not - we have trouble with it in anything less than 8b.

Probably be toast in the first hard winter you have.

It *might* work for you, Maddie. Loropetalums are rated hardy to zone 7, so I am
not sure if your winter will be a factor or not. Loropetalums are not reliably
hardy here in the PNW, but it is less a factor of winter temperatures than it is
summer temps. It just doesn't get hot enough here in summer to ripen the wood
sufficiently to provide adequate flowering AND tolerate our soggy winters. I have
a nursery orphan I have been nursing along for several years now - its blooms
have always been skimpy and it has never put on substantial growth but it keeps
on chugging. I am sure your summers are significantly hotter than ours and that
may be enough of a factor to make the difference. It's worth a try anyway - I'd
try anything that would provide that foliage color on a year round basis - it's
not easy to come by :-)) And those spidery, hot pink flowers are amazing. I am
rapidly becoming very intrigued by anything in the Hamamelidaceae and developing
quite a little collection of plants from this family.

pam - gardengal