PIERIS. North America, Himalayas, East Asia. Though not every gardener can meet their demands, the pieris are well worth fussing over. They are shrubs of dense and often billowy growth, with shiny narrow leaves whorled around the stems. Their new growth may be colored red to bronze, in contrast to the dark green mature leaves. They bear slender, often drooping stems of little urn shaped blossoms in late winter and spring. Light shade along the coast, medium shade inland, well drained, acid soil, regular watering. They resent high summer heat, particularly at the roots. Hardiness varies.

japonica. Lily-of-the-valley shrub. There are now many fine selections of this species, generally of refined and delicate appearance. They are quite bushy, with attractively layered branches. Their flower stems droop gracefully from the branch tips and develop over several months' time. 0^oF or less.

‘Christmas Cheer’ has billowy dark green foliage and an outstanding abundance of flowers. The red buds develop into flowers which combine rose and cream.

‘Compacta’ is a particularly dense, smaller-leaved cultivar, growing 3-5’ high. Its flowers are of the typical white.

‘Mountain Fire’ is a compact selection distinguished by brilliant red new growth, contrasting beautifully with deep green mature foliage. The flowers are cream white.

‘Valley Valentine’ is a recent selection growing more erect than most. It should reach 8' in time. The leaves are exceptionally large, dark green and drooping. Its really spectacular feature is an abundance of large, hanging clusters of mauve blossoms, the darkest I have seen for this species. A similar selection with pinker blossoms is ‘Valley Rose’.

‘Variegata’ is a low, spreading selection with billowy growth. The leaves are unusually narrow and margined with creamy white. Flowers are white.

ryukyuensis ‘Temple Bells’. This selection has several distinctive features. It is a sturdy, bushy plant growing slowly to about 4'. It has flat, closely pressed, very heavy-textured leaves and produces masses of large cream white blossoms on short stems. 10^oF or less.

‘Snowdrift’ (or ‘Snow Drift’, in some texts). This is a hybrid between P. japonica, above, and P. taiwanensis, below. It seems to capture the best features of both parents. The plants are bushy, with deep green leaves, bronze in new growth. However, it is the generous masses of pure white flowers which most distinguish this selection.

taiwanensis. Our plant is an unnamed selection so far as I know, but it is certainly nice. It is a nearly round shrub with strikingly dark green, shiny 4" leaves. Snow white flowers are presented in thickly clustered spikes in spring. Probably 0-5^oF.