Red Cinder (3/8 Inch Minus) for Landscaping and Drainage

Red Cinder is a 3/8 inch minus volcanic cinder, a natural byproduct of lava that is light and airy in the hand yet noticeably heavier than black cinder. Its warm, earthy red color is its signature, and it makes an immediate visual difference as a finish for garden beds, borders, and pathways. As a material born from the island's own volcanic activity, it gives a landscape a distinctly local character.

Cinder is as practical as it is good-looking. The same airy, porous texture that keeps it light also helps it drain, which is why it works so well as ground cover, as a soil amendment that opens up heavy ground, and as a drainage layer in the bottom of potted plants and planters. Spread as a top dressing, it holds moisture in the soil below while letting excess water pass through, a useful balance in the island climate.

Around the home, red cinder is a clean, low-maintenance way to dress beds and paths and to set off plantings with a warm background color. It pairs naturally with boulders, gravel, and green planting for a finished landscape look. The 3/8 inch minus size spreads evenly and settles into a tidy layer, and because the color holds, it keeps its appearance season after season.

Common uses:

• Decorative ground cover and pathways
• Garden beds and borders
• Drainage in potted plants and planters
• Soil aeration and amendment
• Warm-colored top dressing around plantings

Good to know:

• 3/8 inch minus volcanic cinder, a byproduct of lava
• Light and airy but heavier than black cinder
• Porous texture aids drainage and aeration
• Warm red color that holds over time

In stock now. Request a quote for Red Cinder delivery on the Big Island.