Pieris japonica, also known as Lily of the Valley Shrub and sometimes Andromeda, is what we call a Great Plant. Like many of our coastal Northwest garden favorites, it originated in Japan. Its glossy foliage looks wonderful all year. The small flowers, waxy and bell-shaped are arranged in generous clusters that drape the plant in early spring. Their perfume is honey sweet and reminiscent of, you guessed it, lily of the valley. When I think of that fragrance, I see bulbs pushing up through damp earth, flowering plum overhead, on a cool and sunny spring day. We’re almost there!

     But the virtues of Pieris japonica don’t stop there. There are many outstanding varieties, each with its special charms. You have probably noticed one of my favorites, ‘Flame of the Forest’—which is actually a hybrid between P. japonica and P. forrestii. Besides having a great name, this plant keeps putting out a fountain of color long after the flowers are spent. The emerging foliage bursts forth scarlet, salmon, and cream, pale lime, and, finally, dark glossy green, often simultaneously. Very entertaining and yet never gaudy. Others, like ‘Mountain Fire’ and ‘Scarlet O’Hara’, have new growth that’s simply scarlet. For those who can’t resist variegated forms, ‘Variegata’, has foliage marked with cream, tinted pink in spring. The flower clusters, looking like drooping bunches of tiny grapes, are lovely in white, like ‘Snow Drift’ and ‘White Cascade’. The flower buds, formed in autumn, are ornamental for a long season before they actually bloom. ‘Valley Rose’ and ‘Valley Valentine’ come in shades of pink. Over the winter the buds of these varieties turn a rich burgundy against the glossy deep green leaves. Very handsome near the front door.

     Pieris takes well to pruning for shape and size control which will probably be necessary in gardens with limited space. Without pruning, fully mature plants can reach 6 to 7 feet in height with nearly the same width. To suit today’s smaller gardens, there are appealing dwarf forms to choose from—’Prelude’, ‘Karenoma’ and others. They have the same mounding habit as their relatives and are even more well behaved. They are not likely to overgrow the walkway, or reach up in front of the family room view, or bury that really nice rock you artfully set beside it.

     Some of our featured Beach Plants are very brave about salt and wind. Not this one. It will want to be sheltered from prevailing winds, in full sun to light shade. Otherwise it’s not fussy, it just wants good draining, acid soil which is the most usual condition here at the beach. Enrich the soil with plenty of organics (i.e. compost, leaf mulch, peat moss, and/or manure) and fertilize as you would a rhododendron. In fact, rhododendron and azalea are close relatives of pieris.

     Aside from year round beauty, fragrance, and ease of culture, this wonderful plant has yet another sterling quality. While it is not a deer repellent, it is deer proof—if it would just share its secret with the roses we would all sleep more soundly. Pieris japonica gives a gardener a lot to love on a daily basis. Give this plant a place of honor, where you’ll pass it often. It will give back to you.

Visit Past Beach Plants
January - New Zealand Flax, Phormium tenax