Features and Growing Tips

Note: Each live plant is unique and may differ from the photo while maintaining its beauty. Plants come in a plastic pot; other items in images are not included.

Landscape Qualities

Scarlet O'Hara 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.

Ornamental Qualities

Scarlet O'Hara Japanese Pieris features dainty chains of white bell-shaped flowers hanging below the branches in early spring. It has attractive dark red-tipped dark green foliage which emerges scarlet in spring. The glossy narrow leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter.

Planting and Growing

Scarlet O'Hara Japanese Pieris will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity | with a spread of 6 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 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.

Plant Facts

Prefers full sun to partial shade

Deer Resistant

Keep moisture level moist

Mature Size 10'Hx6'W

Flowers are white

Flowers in early spring

Zone 5a

Known to be toxic

Likes well drained soil