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Pieris japonica (Thunb.) D. Don ex G. Don

Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris

Japanese andromeda is native to China, Taiwan, and Japan. It is not found in the wild in North America, though it and its many cultivars are popular in gardens.

Plants: An evergreen shrub or small tree 3–13′ (1–4 m) in size, usually less than 6½′ (2 m). Twigs are hairless, and easily broken.

Leaves: Alternate, unlobed (simple), shiny, dark green, leathery leaves. The leaves have fine serrations, and are oblanceolate to obovate-oblong. Young leaves are orange-bronze.

Flowers: Flowers are abundant, forming drooping clusters up to 6″ (15 cm) around. Individual flowers are white, about ¼″ (6.3 mm) long, and resemble small inverted urns. They look very similar to blueberry flowers, to which they are loosely related. The tip of each flower has 5 small lobes that spread outward. (Cultivated varieties are available in shades of pink as well as white.) Flowers appear from March to April.

Fruits: Brown capsules with five valves are visible year-round. Each capsule is oval in shape, and about ⅛″ (3.2 mm) long.

Edibility: Poisonous Skull & Crossbones Leaves and flower nectar contain andromedotoxin, which can cause death to people or animals. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythms, and headache.

Habitats: In acid, low-calcium soils, and partially shaded settings such as dappled woodlands.

Online References:

The Missouri Botanical Garden

North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Hvp.osu.edu

Plantfacts.osu.edu

Woodyplants.cals.cornell.edu

 

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

5/22/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 5 × 3″ (12 × 8.5 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

4/7/2012 · Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton, Mary­land · ≈ 10 × 13″ (26 × 32 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

5/11/2021 · Harpswell Historic Park, Harpswell Garden Club, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

4/7/2012 · Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton, Mary­land · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (41 × 55 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

4/7/2012 · Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton, Mary­land · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

5/11/2021 · Harpswell Historic Park, Harpswell Garden Club, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

4/23/2015 · Willard Brook State Park, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

5/11/2021 · Harpswell Historic Park, Harpswell Garden Club, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 7 × 5″ (18 × 13 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

4/7/2012 · Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton, Mary­land · ≈ 10 × 7″ (24 × 16 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

4/29/2017 · Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 8.7 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

4/23/2015 · Willard Brook State Park, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 10 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

4/23/2015 · Willard Brook State Park, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 10 cm)

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

5/12/2025 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush, Japanese pieris)

4/29/2017 · Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassAsteridaeA large class that encompasses asters
OrderEricalesTea, persimmon, blueberry, Brazil nut, azalea, many others
FamilyEricaceaeHeath or heather family
GenusPierisAndromeda or fetterbush
SpeciesjaponicaOf or belonging to Japan, Japanese

About plant names...

Range: Zones 4b-8:

About this map...

Pieris japonica description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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