copperbush
Elliottia pyroliflora · Ericaceae
copperbush (Elliottia pyroliflora) is a perennial shrub in the Ericaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 4 and warmer, down to about -22°F.
At a glance
| Type | shrub USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 5 ft USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–6 USDA |
| Flower color | Red USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 4 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | shrub Derived |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
Its drought tolerance is rated low. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 6 — acidic ground. Its cold limit is zone 4.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 5 ft, making it roughly waist to chest height.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, medium in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 40 to 200 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 136 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches.
Resilience and wildlife
Its growth form is recorded as thicket forming.
Role in a guild
Shrub layer. In a layered planting this is woody mid-level structure between the understory and the ground. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- whitethorn ceanothus Ceanothus cordulatus
- yellow rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus
- coastal sweetpepperbush Clethra alnifolia
- quince Cydonia oblonga
- slender pride of Rochester Deutzia gracilis
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol ELPY, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Type.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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