Pieris japonica (Lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris, Japanese andromeda)

Pieris japonica Photo/Illustration: Steve Aitken



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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Botanical Name: Pieris japonica pee-AIR-iss jah-PON-ih-kah Common Name: Lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris, Japanese andromeda Genus: Pieris
This neat, rounded shrub has given rise to many noteworthy cultivars. It grows to 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide, producing drooping clusters of delicate white blossoms in winter and spring. Use this shrub in a woodland, rock garden, container, or as a foundation plant.
Noteworthy characteristics: Glossy leaves; bead-like flower buds; abundant dainty flowers.
Care: Grow in acidic, fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Cut back dead or diseased wood in mid-spring.
Propagation: Sow seed in a cold frame in spring or fall. Root greenwood cuttings in early summer, or semi-ripe cuttings with bottom heat in mid- to late summer.
Problems: Dieback, canker, Phytophthora root rot, lacebug, nematodes.
Height 10 ft. to 15 ft.
Spread 6 ft. to 10 ft.
Growth Habit Clumps
Growth Pace Slow Grower
Light Full Sun to Part Shade
Moisture Medium Moisture
Maintenance Low
Tolerance Deer Tolerant;Frost Tolerant
Characteristics Fragrant Flowers; Interesting Bark; Showy Flowers; Showy Foliage
Bloom Time Spring; Winter
Foliage Color Evergreen
Flower Color White Flower
Uses Beds and Borders, Container, Cut Flower, Hedge, Naturalizing, Screening, Specimen Plant/ Focal Point
Style Shade, Formal Garden, Woodland Garden
Seasonal Interest Winter Interest, Spring Interest, Summer Interest, Fall Interest
Type Shrubs

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