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Ericaceae
Pearl Flower
Pieris japonica
Early beauty emerging from winter's grip.
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Pieris
- Native to
- Japan, Taiwan, China
- Bloom season
- Late Winter, Early Spring
- Type
- evergreen shrub
- Height
- 200–400 cm
- Sunlight
- part shade to full sun
- Soil
- acidic, moist, well-drained
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 5–8
- Lifespan
- perennial shrub; decades
Did you know
- The drooping chains of bell-shaped flowers look like strings of tiny pearls before they open.
- New growth emerges in brilliant shades of red and bronze before maturing to dark green.
- All parts of the plant are toxic — it contains grayanotoxins, the same toxins found in rhododendrons.
- Honey made from Pieris nectar can be toxic and was historically called 'mad honey'.
- Named after the Pierides, the nine Muses of Greek mythology, for its graceful beauty.
Color meanings
White
hope in winter
Pink
gentle spring awakening