Pieris formosa is a vigorous evergreen shrub that can reach about 4 m, with leaves that open red in spring and creamy white flower trusses. It grows best in partial shade in acidic, humus-rich soil.
Family
Ericaceae (Heather family)
Grows as
Shrub
Light
Part shade
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist and never let it dry out completely, especially when young.
Soil
Acidic, humus-rich, well-drained soil (ericaceous compost for pots).
Temperature
Hardy to about -15 °C; protect young plants from hard frost and hot, dry wind.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: All parts, especially leaves and nectar, contain grayanotoxins that can cause vomiting, drooling, low blood pressure and weakness if eaten; honey made from its nectar can also be toxic.
Native range
Nepal to C. & S. China and N. Indo-China
Climate
temperate
About
Pieris formosa, called the Taiwan pieris or the Himalayan andromeda, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Pieris native to Nepal, the eastern Himalaya, Assam in India, Myanmar, Vietnam, Tibet, central and southern China, but not Taiwan. The 'Wakehurst' cultivar of the variety Pieris formosa var. forrestii has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit as an ornamental, and is also considered by them as a good plant to attract pollinators. A vigorous evergreen shrub to 4 m (13 ft) in height, its leaves open red in early spring, turning green later. The trusses of creamy white flowers open at the same time as the young leaves. Like all pieris, it prefers a partially shaded spot in acid pH soil.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Pieris formosa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.