Winter Window Shopping: 3 Plants to Brighten Your View — Seattle’s Favorite Garden Store Since 1924 – Swansons Nursery

Pieris japonica was introduced to England by William Kerr in the early 19th century. Kerr was a Scottish gardener at Kew who was sent to the Far East in 1804. Considered to be the first modern Western plant hunter to collect in Asia, the Chinese did not allow Kerr to travel and thus did the majority of his botanizing in nurseries and gardens. From his post at the port of Guangzhou, he introduced 238 new species, including P. japonica, to the West before he purportedly succumbed to an opium habit, which ended his career in 1814 at the young age of 35. P. japonica’s hardiness falls in between the other 2 species, and it sports honey-scented flowers and coppery-brown spring foliage. Pieris yakushimensis, which is now considered to be a compact variant of P. japonica, has contributed genetics that have resulted in a number of compact new selections that top out at around 3 feet tall.

Pieris formosa was introduced in the late 18th century, and though usually hardy in our area, is the most tender of the three species. The leaves and flowers are generally larger than the other two species, and its spring foliage flushes in coppery bronze. The variety “forrestii”, named for Scottish plant hunter George Forrest, features vividly bright red spring foliage and is particularly floriferous.

Pieris floribunda is a smaller and much hardier plant, surviving Zone 5 winters. It was discovered by John Lyon, yet another Scot (doesn’t Scotland have any plants of its own?!?), in Virginia in 1807. Dense of habit and slow growing, it has been used to contribute added hardiness to new hybrids. It’s a bit less floriferous and the foliage has a comparatively dull matte (yet still attractive) sheen in contrast to the other two species glossy green.

With a reasonable amount of summer irrigation, most Pieris will grow happily in full sun, but a half a day of shade is preferred. Heavy clay or compacted soils are problematic, but amending with a few inches of compost will give you a reasonable chance at success. They take well to pruning, but given a bit of room they can remain untouched for decades, eventually turning into small trees. They are not fond of windy sites, so choose the shelter of an east wall if you live on the shore, in the foothills, or east of the Cascades.

Pieris leaves, flowers, and seed capsules are toxic to mammals. The three characters used to write its Japanese name (which is “Asebi”) mean “Horse Drunk Plant”, so plant it a safe distance from your corral. On the upside, deer don’t touch it, at least not more than once, so it’s an excellent option for folks looking for evergreen foliage in Bambi country. Its late winter/early spring flowers are much appreciated by early pollinators like mason bees.

Pieris will usually reach a height of about 7 feet with a similar width in about 10 years. Very old specimens can exceed twenty feet. By hybridizing the above-mentioned species and by possessing a keen eye for happy accidents, plant breeders and nurserymen have blessed us with a plethora of Pieris cultivars, varieties, and forms. Choosing from the scores of options is a matter of hardiness and personal preference, but here are a few of my favorites:

The Valley Series

Selected during the mid-1960’s from an extensive research trial at North Willamette Research and Extension Center, the Valley series are all excellent garden plants. ‘Valley Valentine’ has deep red buds that open to pink flowers. ‘Valley Rose’ sports flowers that are pink on top, fading to white at the tips. ‘Valley Fire’ offers white flowers followed by flaming red spring foliage.