lily-of-the-valley shrub

Scientific Name:

Pieris japonica

Pronunciation:

pee-AIR-iss jah-PON-ih-kus

Common Name:

lily-of-the-valley shrub, Japanese pieris

Family Name:

Ericaceae

Plant Type:

Broadleaf evergreen

Key ID Features:

Leaves leathery, alternate (may appear whorled at end of branches), narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate, 4-9cm long x 1.5-3cm wide, margin mostly crenate to serrate, entire at base, new growth foliage red-pink; panicles 7-15cm long, florets commonly white, some cultivars pink to red, urn shaped, many suspended from each peduncle, Feb-May; capsules rounded, 3-5mm wide with 5 sepals remaining.

Habit:

Dense

Form:

Oval - vertical

Texture:

Medium - fine

Mature Height:

1.3 - 2.0m

Mature Spread:

1.5 - 2.0m

Growth Rate:

Slow

Origin:

S.E. Asia / Japan / China

Hardiness Rating:

Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)

Exposure:

Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade

Soil/Growing Medium:

Acidic, Well-drained

Water Use:

Moderate

Landscape Uses:

Mixed shrub border, Screening, Small garden/space, Specimen plant, Spring interest

Additional Info:

Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include P. ‘Variegata’, P. 'Forest Flame', P. ‘Mountain Fire’, and P. 'Scarlett O'Hara'.

Leaf Morphology:

Glossary

Form:

Simple

Arrangement:

Alternate

Texture/Venation:

Leathery, Pinnate venation

Surfaces:

Glabrous, Lustrous

Colour in Fall:

Green

Shapes:

Elliptic, Oblanceolate

Apices:

Acuminate, Acute

Bases:

Attenuate, Cuneate

Margins:

Crenate, Serrate

Inflorescence Type:

Panicle, Floriferous

Flower Morphology:

Flowers perfect

Number Of Petals:

5

Corolla Shape:

Urceolate

Ovary Position:

Superior

Colour (petals):

Showy, White, Purple, Pink, Magenta, Red, Dark-red

Flower Scent:

Fragrant

Flower Time at Peak:

Mar, Apr

Fruit Type:

Capsule

Fruit Colour:

Green, Brown

Fruiting Time:

Sep, Oct

Additional Info:

Persistent

Bark Morphology:

Lightly fissured, Multi-stem trunk

Bark or Stem Colour:

Grey, Red, Brown

Propagation:

Seed, Greenwood cuttings, Softwood cuttings, Tissue culture

Maintenance:

Low

Pest Susceptibility:

Fungal leaf spot, Heteroptera - true bugs, Mites, Nematodes, Scale insects (Deer resistant)

Specific Pests:

Lace bug, Lygus bug

Course(s):

AARB 1012
CLT Training
HORT 1155
Level 1 Apprenticeship

Location(s):

(GAZ) GAZebo
(GAZE) GAZebo East
(GAZN) GAZebo North : cv. Variegata
(HPZ) Horticulture PlaZa
(ONE) Overpass North side East

Location Map