Katsura pieris

Sun

Partial shade, ideally morning sun and afternoon shade. More sun is tolerable in cool climates if the soil stays moist; avoid hot afternoon sun and exposed, windy sites.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water during dry spells, especially while establishing and when growing in a container.

Soil

Acidic, humus-rich, well-drained soil, ideally pH 4.5-6.0. Unsuitable for chalky soil; use ericaceous compost in a container where garden soil is alkaline.

Height

3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m)

Spread

3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m)

Flowers

Early to mid-spring; hanging clusters of pale to rose-pink bells opening from darker pink-red buds.

Foliage

Glossy, narrow oval evergreen leaves; new growth emerges deep wine-red, then matures to dark green. Further red flushes may appear during the growing season.

Growth

Slow

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.9 ft (0.59 m)

3. After 2 years

   2.2 ft (0.68 m)

4. After 3 years

   2.5 ft (0.76 m)

5. After 5 years

   3 ft (0.94 m)

About 8 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant with the top of the root ball level with the surrounding soil; do not bury the stem base.
• Water deeply during dry weather, keeping the shallow roots moist without leaving them saturated.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of leaf mould or fine composted bark over the root zone, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Feed lightly in spring with a fertiliser for acid-loving shrubs if growth is weak; avoid heavy feeding.
• Use rainwater where tap water is very hard, especially for container plants.
• Shelter young growth from drying winds and late frosts.

Pruning. Prune only as needed immediately after flowering, removing dead or damaged branches and shortening straggly shoots to a leafy side branch. Avoid routine autumn or winter clipping, which removes the following spring's flower buds.

Late winter

Check soil moisture and protect container plants from cold, drying winds; leave developing flower clusters intact.

Spring

Refresh the mulch and apply a light acid-loving shrub feed if needed.

Spring, after flowering

Remove spent flower clusters if practical and carry out any light shaping.

Summer

Water during dry spells and inspect leaf undersides for lace bugs.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings if propagating; avoid late heavy feeding.

Autumn

Plant while soil is moist and workable, or wait until spring in colder areas.

• Place near a sheltered entrance or path where the hanging flowers and red shoots can be seen closely.
• Combine with rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias in an acidic-soil shrub border.
• Use with ferns and hostas beneath open tree canopies, avoiding sites crowded with thirsty surface roots.
• Grow in a large container of ericaceous compost for year-round structure in a partly shaded courtyard.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Japanese, Modern courtyard, Traditional, Small-space and Pacific Northwest woodland.

Plant it with: Japanese azaleas, Rhododendrons, Camellias, Hostas, Japanese painted ferns and Japanese forest grass.

Wildlife: The spring flowers attract bees, including bumblebees. Dense evergreen foliage provides some shelter for small garden wildlife.

• Yellow leaves with green veins usually indicate iron chlorosis from alkaline soil or water. Check soil pH; move to suitable acidic soil or ericaceous container compost rather than relying on repeated iron treatments.
• Pieris lace bugs cause pale stippling above and dark specks beneath leaves. Inspect undersides, remove badly affected leaves and use a labelled insecticidal soap where appropriate, covering leaf undersides thoroughly.
• Phytophthora root rot causes wilting and dieback in wet soil. Improve drainage, avoid overwatering and remove severely affected plants; do not replace them in the same poorly drained spot.
• Late frost, strong sun and drying winds can scorch young leaves. Choose a sheltered position, maintain soil moisture and remove dead tips once the extent of damage is clear.

Toxic to people, cats, dogs and horses if eaten. All parts, including leaves, flowers and nectar, contain grayanotoxins; ingestion can cause vomiting, weakness, dangerously slow heart rate and potentially fatal poisoning. Seek urgent medical or veterinary advice after suspected ingestion.

• Mountain pieris (Pieris floribunda)

  Usually has upright clusters of white flowers rather than the hanging pink clusters of 'Katsura'; it also lacks this cultivar's repeated deep wine-red leaf flushes.

• Drooping leucothoe (Leucothoe fontanesiana)

  Has a lower, more arching habit, with flower clusters along the stems rather than the conspicuous terminal clusters typical of pieris.

• Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)

  An unrelated deciduous tree with rounded, heart-shaped leaves, not a compact evergreen shrub with narrow leaves and bell-shaped flowers.

The species name japonica means 'of Japan', referring to part of the plant's native range.

Propagation. Root semi-ripe cuttings in summer in an acidic, free-draining medium with steady humidity. Seed will not reliably produce plants identical to 'Katsura'.

Accepted botanical name

Pieris japonica

Native range

China South-Central, China Southeast, Japan and Taiwan.

Measured

Soil pH 4.2 to 5.5. Average height 332 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.