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Japanese pieris

Pieris japonica · Ericaceae

Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica)
Photo: Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA · via Wikimedia Commons

Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica) is catalogued by the USDA PLANTS database. USDA records it as hardy in zone 7 and warmer, down to about 2°F.

At a glance

Mature height12 ft USDA
Lightshade USDA
Water needmedium USDA
Growth rateslow USDA
Soil pH4.2–5.5 USDA
BloomApril–May USDA
Flower colorWhite USDA
Hardiness zones7 and warmer USDA
Nursery availabilityRoutinely Available USDA

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

It tolerates full shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 4.2 to 5.5 — acidic ground. Its cold limit is zone 7.

Size and growth

At maturity it reaches about 12 ft, making it a small tree or large shrub. It grows slowly.

Bloom period

USDA records a bloom period of April through May. Flowers are white.

A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.

Foliage, flower and season

Summer foliage is dark green, medium in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.

What the site needs to provide

USDA records it across sites receiving 35 to 55 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 200 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.

Propagating it

Propagate it from cuttings, bare root and container stock. It spreads vegetatively at a slow rate.

Resilience and wildlife

Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated low, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as multiple stem.

Tags

evergreendeer-resistantacidic-soilshade-tolerantslow-growing

Where this data comes from

Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol PIJA3, 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.

Read our full data sources and methodology.

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