I used to live in Cary and planted 3 of them in the sun and 3 of them in the shade. It's a vary versitile plant. As I remember, it's been ten years, they bloom in the late spring early summer depending on the weather. I never cut them back so I don't know that answer. I do know that once they are established you can ignore them and they grow. Here in the east where it is blazing hot I watered them well in the first year, they didn't bloom, and now they are huge and bloom. Good luck.

I used to live in Cary and planted 3 of them in the sun and 3 of them in the shade. It's a vary versitile plant. As I remember, it's been ten years, they bloom in the late spring early summer depending on the weather. I never cut them back so I don't know that answer. I do know that once they are established you can ignore them and they grow. Here in the east where it is blazing hot I watered them in the first year, they didn't bloom, and now they are huge. Good luck.

I'm also in Raleigh and I realize that mine didn't bloom, either. It's several years old and I'm certain it blooms before now. Wonder what's up with that?

Thanks for your responses! I just discovered a page on JC Raulston's website that lists the month when all their plants bloom. What a great find! This list indicates that loropetalum bloom in March and April. I'm puzzled why they didn't bloom this year.

Here is a link that might be useful: JC Raulston bloom list