Other Names:  Lily of the Valley Shrub, Japanese Andromeda

Group/Class:  Enchanted Forest

Description:

A truly ornamental broadleaf evergreen shrub, prized for its delicate and showy chains of bright red bell-shaped flowers and bronze emerging foliage, dense and upright; performs best in moist, organic and acidic soils

Ornamental Features

Gay Goblin Japanese Pieris features dainty chains of red bell-shaped flowers with white overtones hanging below the branches in early spring. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage which emerges coppery-bronze in spring. The glossy narrow leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Gay Goblin Japanese Pieris is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Gay Goblin Japanese Pieris is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Gay Goblin Japanese Pieris will grow to be about 7 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.