''Pieris japonica'', the Japanese andromeda or Japanese pieris, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the heath

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Ericaceae. It is native to eastern China, Taiwan, and Japan, where it grows in mountain thickets. This medium-sized

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

shrub or tree is widely cultivated in gardens.

Description

''Pieris japonica'' grows to tall, occasionally up to 10 metres, with alternate, simple leaves on brittle stems. The leaves open bronze or red in some cultivars, turning green. The trusses of small urn-shaped flowers are white or pink, appearing early in spring, and providing a decorative effect against the young red leaves. The flowers usually last two or three weeks. The plant is poisonous if consumed by people or animals. The toxicity is a result of the

grayanotoxins Grayanotoxins are a group of closely related neurotoxins named after '' Leucothoe grayana'', a plant native to Japan originally named for 19th century American botanist Asa Gray. Grayanotoxin I (grayanotaxane-3,5,6,10,14,16-hexol 14-acetate) is als ...

contained by the flowers and leaves. If flowers and leaves are ingested by humans, symptoms may include salivation, headaches, vomiting, cardiac failure, and death. Cattle, goats, horses, dogs, and cats may suffer similar symptoms after ingesting the leaves or flowers of this plant. The name "andromeda" originated from an earlier genus name for the plant.

Cultivation

''Pieris japonica'' is a popular

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

garden plant, producing colour in early spring. A

calcifuge A calcifuge is a plant that does not tolerate alkaline (basic) soil. The word is derived from the Latin 'to flee from chalk'. These plants are also described as ericaceous, as the prototypical calcifuge is the genus '' Erica'' (heaths). It is not ...

, it requires acid pH soil, typically in a partially shaded setting such as dappled woodland. It associates well with

camellia ''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are more than 220 described species, with some controv ...

s, rhododendrons, and other lime-hating plants.

Cultivars

The following

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s have received the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

's Award of Garden Merit: *'Blush' pink/red flowers, *'Bonfire' - pink/white flowers, *'Carnaval' red/pink leaves turning green edged white, white flowers, *'Cavatine' - white flowers, *'Debutante' - cream flowers, *'Firecrest' - foliage red to green, flowers pink *'Flaming Silver' - young red foliage turning green margined silver, *'Mountain Fire' - red leaves turning green, white flowers *'Pink Delight' - foliage bronze to green, flowers pink to white, *'Prelude' - cream/white flowers, *'Purity' - white flowers, *'Sarabande' - white flowers, *'Valley Valentine' - red flowers,

References

External links

''Pieris japonica'' Images at bioimages.Flavon's Wild herb and Alpine plants Wikimedia Commons
''Pieris japonica'' image gallery. {{Taxonbar, from=Q2333372 japonica Flora of China Flora of Japan Flora of Taiwan Garden plants