Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica) offers a year-round show in a garden with evergreen foliage and showy bell-shaped blooms (USDA hardiness zones 5- 8). New spring foliage starts out bronze-colored and matures to dark green. Attractive, pendulous branches if ivory white flower appears in early spring. Remnants of the old seed heads generally persist into the following winter.

Japanese pieris grows best in part sun to light shade. It requires more shade in southern locations and will tolerate almost full day sunlight in northern climes. Do not crowd plants as pieris must have good air movement to ward off potential mildew and leaf spot ailments.

Pieris grows 4-5 feet high and 3 feet wide depending on the cultivar planted. Growth rate is moderate to fast, depending on the level of care provided. Offer pieris irrigation over a long summer dry spell. It thrives in compost rich well drained acidic soil. A soil pH between 5.5 and 6.0 is ideal.

Numerous cultivars abound. Good cultivar selection is key to long term survival. Some of my favorites include ‘Mountain Fire’ (fire-red new foliage), ‘Little Heath’ (gold-edged foliage on slow-growing plant), ‘Dorothy Wyckoff’ (compact growth habit), and ‘Cavatine’ (cold hardy dwarf form perfect in rock gardens). New in the Southern Living Plant Collection™ is Mountain Snow™, rated as more heat tolerant than other pieris cultivars.

Japanese pieris is a low maintenance shrub that either stands alone as a specimen, plant several enmasse, or grow in large 15 gallon or larger wide containers in zone 6 and warmer climes. Pruning needs are minimal, usually following the spring bloom cycle.