Little Champ™ Distylium

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

1-2 Feet

Mature Spread

2 - 3 Feet

Growing Zones

7 to 9

Little Champ™ Distylium (Distylium x ‘DISmd-26-18’ PP34992) is the kind of evergreen you tuck in once and enjoy for years. It stays low and dense, with glossy, dark green leaves that read clean and polished from spring through winter. In late winter, small maroon-red flowers show up close to the stems, a subtle bonus when most shrubs are asleep. At maturity it remains compact, roughly 1–2 feet tall and 2–3 feet wide, so it fits spots where larger evergreens feel bulky. We like it as a “problem-solver” plant for tight beds and modern foundation lines because it gives structure without turning into a pruning project. 

Distylium is in the witch hazel family and traces back to East Asia, which helps explain its comfort with heat, humidity, and long growing seasons. Little Champ™ is also noted for broad tolerance and low maintenance in the landscape, including good performance in sun to part shade and strong resilience once established. Use it to edge a walkway, anchor a mixed border, or plant as a short, tidy row that won’t swallow your windows. It also works well in patio containers when you want year-round foliage instead of a pot that looks bare in winter. 

Little Champ™ Distylium Care

Choose a site with full sun to part sun for the tightest habit, but it will also handle brighter shade, especially in hotter areas. Plant in well-drained soil; it adapts to many soil types, but drainage matters more than “perfect” texture. Aim for slightly acidic to neutral pH (roughly 6.0–7.5 is a safe target for most landscapes), and avoid chronically soggy spots that can invite root problems. After planting, keep the root zone evenly moist for the first stretch of the season; once it’s settled in, water mainly during extended hot, dry periods. Feed lightly in spring with compost or a general shrub fertilizer if your soil is lean; in richer beds, mulch often does the job. 

Pruning is optional. If you want to refine the outline, do a light trim after the winter bloom window or in early spring before growth surges. Focus on thinning a few wayward shoots and tidying the surface rather than cutting it back hard. In containers, protect the pot from repeated freeze-thaw swings at the cold edge of its range by placing it in a sheltered spot and insulating the container wall. 

Little Champ™ Distylium Spacing

Give plants about 3 feet from center to center for an easy, breathable mass planting; use closer spacing (around 2–2.5 feet) when your goal is a tighter, low hedge. For a new container planting, start with a pot that’s at least 16–18 inches wide so the shrub has room to fill out without squeezing out companions.

If you want other plants in the same container, treat Little Champ™ as the evergreen “anchor” and keep companions smaller and shallow-rooted. Good matches in sun include creeping sedum, trailing rosemary, or compact annuals like calibrachoa. For part sun, try Japanese forest grass, ajuga, or a trailing sweet potato vine for contrast. Keep the mix to two or three companions total so the distylium stays airy instead of crowded, and plan to refresh the annuals seasonally as the shrub expands.

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