Pick Pieris for Year-Round Beauty

Prune your Pieris right after flowering; if the fruits are allowed to develop, there may be fewer flowers the next year. (Floridata). Pieris blooms on the previous season's growth, so you never want to prune one in winter! Diane Relf, of the Virginia Cooperative Extension, also recommends pruning Pieris to keep them bushy, as they can get leggy. I've never had to do this yet myself, as I've found that Pieris have a naturally attractive growth shape.

Pieris range in size; 'Forest Flame', for example, will reach 12 feet tall and spread 6 feet wide at maturity, while many varieties of Pieris japonica (also known as Pieris andromeda), will reach 8 feet tall and spread 8 feet wide at maturity. There are smaller varieties such as Pieris japonica 'Debutante', which will only grow and spread 3 feet by 3 feet at maturity, and even dwarf varieties such as 'Little Heath' which only grows and spreads 2 feet tall. All Pieris grow slowly, taking ten to fifteen years to reach their mature size.

There are very few plants that provide beauty in the garden this time of year, and fewer still that are attractive all year round. Of the few that do, Pieris is peerless. So if you don't have several already, you should definitely plant a Pieris this year!

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