Also not a very hardy shrub, if there is a possibility of these freezing back or down some future winter on your site you might not want to rely on them as a permanent screen. Are these backed by a wall or otherwise getting some shelter where they are planted now? That may be giving you better results than you would have if you moved them out into the open, in full exposure to winter winds.

As far as transplanting, they should be easy to transplant. I have transplanted fothergilla which is in the hamamelis family after 3 years in the ground with no problems whatsoever. Now is a good time, especially because you really need to get them out of the way of your azaleas! Of course you need to mulch deeply and water well for the first season.

I'm going to move one that I have by my front door because I planted it, and fully expected it to die the first winter (I'm in zone 6b) but it persisted and is now in its third year and out growing its allotted space! It's such a cool plant I'm going to move it where it can stretch out and I won't have to prune it. I will keep it near the house and out of the winter winds though as it is marginally hardy here.

But I also suspect people rating it USDA 7 haven't grown it long enough to know the real story - or don't understand the USDA zoning system - a frequent occurrence.

After the 1990 winter, the only one I saw keep a top was a friend's new small specimen that laid flat beneath the snow.

"In Pacific Northwest, needs protection against hard freezes"

--Sunset Western Garden Book (2007, Sunset Publishing, Menlo Park)

>But I also suspect people rating it USDA 7 haven't grown it long enough to know the real story<

[Was answered with]

>I've grown Loropetalums for 15 years or so<

My point exactly. We're talking about a shrub here.

>They will drop their leaves if the temps dip down to 5 degrees or below, but that's only happened around 3 times in the last 15 years<

So if you don't mind your hedge going bare on average every 5 years, no problem.

An evergreen that has the leaves burnt off about every 5 years is either not evergreen or not hardy.

Or both.

Most people when they plant a hedge (if that is what we are talking about here) are planting a living fence. In my area perhaps the bulk of bamboo plants sold go to people who have priced actual fencing beforehand. Nobody wants a fence that drops all its boards 3 times in 15 years.

19 years ago we had the coldest winter in 30 years here. Shrubs killed during that winter could have grown for 30 years beforehand. New shrubs planted soon afterward and grown for the years since will not have been tested by another such a winter - yet. 3 defoliations during that short period I would definitely take as a warning sign.

[Was answered with]

>I've grown Loropetalums for 15 years or so<

My point exactly. We're talking about a shrub here."

Not to be difficult bboy, but I don't get your point. In the southeast, these shrubs have quite a few years behind their use. No, we don't have 100 years of statistical data behind them, but they are ubiquitous here because of their colorful foliage, drought tolerance, tolerance for sun/shade, and few pest issues. As growers have developed dwarfer forms, they've been readily adopted by homeowners and commercial landscapers alike. You cannot go anywhere without encountering them used in all types of landscaping situations (shopping centers, office parks, home landscapes). I have experienced no hardiness problems (even when the temp gauge dipped to -5 degrees a few years back) nor heard of any from other gardeners. This does not indicate to me that are in any way unreliably hardy (at least in my area of the southeast).

"19 years ago we had the coldest winter in 30 years here. Shrubs killed during that winter could have grown for 30 years beforehand. New shrubs planted soon afterward and grown for the years since will not have been tested by another such a winter - yet. 3 defoliations during that short period I would definitely take as a warning sign."

Defoliation does not indicate to me a hardiness issue. There are many shrubs that also defoliate during the winter, yet are perfectly hardy. Of course, if we have the coldest winter on record next season and everyone has to replace their loropetalums, feel free to remind me of this post. (-:

BTW, the OP did not say that they required an evergreen hedge. And, to be clear, Loropetalums can be more accurately described as semi-evergreen during cold winters (below 15 degrees). They drop some, but not all their leaves. I have one (Loropetalum chinensis var rubrum 'Burgundy') that never defoliates (and this winter it got down to 5 degrees), but I wonder if it's because it's in the shade.

Anyway, interesting discussion.