The hardiest of ''

Enkianthus ''Enkianthus'' is a genus of shrubs or small trees in the heath family (Ericaceae). Its native range is in Asia, as far west as the eastern Himalayas, as far south as Indochina, and as far north and east as China and Japan. This genus is consid ...

'' species is ''E. campanulatus'' (furin-tsutsuji or redvein enkianthus), a medium-sized, narrow, upright, deciduous

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

. Its bright green glossy foliage gives brilliant coppery to red fall colors. In spring it offers a profusion of bell-shaped (''campanula'', "little bell"), creamy white flowers with red veins, similar to those of the distantly related ''

Pieris Pieris may refer to: Organisms * ''Pieris'' (plant), the andromeda or fetterbush, a plant genus in the family Ericaceae * ''Pieris'' (butterfly), the garden whites, a butterfly genus in the family Pieridae * ''Pieris'', a synonym of the genus ...

''. The plant was brought to England by Charles Maries, who was plant-hunting in Japan at the time for Veitch Nurseries. The shrub can exceed expectations of height under the right circumstances, as at William Robinson's

Gravetye Manor Gravetye Manor is a manor house located near East Grinstead, West Sussex, England. The former home of landscape gardener William Robinson, it is now a hotel and restaurant holding, in 2020, one star in the Michelin Guide, and is a Grade I list ...

, where a pair planted about the turn of the 20th century reached .

Characteristics

Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Spacing: 4' to 5' apart
Average height x width: 10' tall x 5' wide
Fertilizing: Fertilize in spring just before new growth begins
Cold hardiness: -20 °F
Water use: Keep soil evenly moist. Prefers acid, well-drained soil. Widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in parks and gardens, this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1039336 Ericaceae