If you are looking for a shrub that can bloom in shade, the graceful deutzia might be the plant for you. This mound-shaped shrub’s abundant flowers and flexible growing conditions are definite pluses for many gardeners.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Deutzia is a genus of about 60 species of flowering plants in the family Hydrangeaceae, native to eastern and central Asia (from the Himalayas east to Japan and the Philippines), and Central America and also Europe. By far the highest species diversity is in China, where 50 species occur.
Deutzia is named after the 18th century Dutch patron of botany, Johan van der Deutz.
The species are shrubs ranging from 1–4 m (3 ft 3 in – 13 ft 1 in) in height. Most are deciduous, but a few subtropical species are evergreen. The leaves are opposite, simple, with a serrated margin. The flowers are produced in panicles or corymbs; they are white in most species, sometimes pink or reddish. The fruit is a dry capsule containing numerous small seeds. Identification of the species is very difficult, requiring microscopic detail of the leaf hairs and seed capsule structure.
As long as the plants are healthy, leaves remain green throughout the summer. Some varieties produce brilliant gold or deep burgundy foliage in the fall, but others show no significant color change. Regardless of the color, all deutzias lose their leaves by late fall. The shrub’s woody stems remain throughout the winter, and some varieties sport attractive, peeling bark.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Deutzias can grow well in both full sun and partial shade, but more sun will lead to more flowers. If you’re hoping to see your plant’s cascading stems covered in flowers during the spring, make sure it receives at least eight hours of direct sun each day.
Although these plants flourish in full sun, they’ll also remain healthy near woodland borders and on the sides of houses. However, don’t expect these partially shaded deutzias to produce as many flowers as those growing in full sun.
Watering
When it comes to watering deutzias, consider the shrub’s age. Plants in their first year of growth are still getting acclimated to their new home, and their shallow root systems can’t reach water deep in the ground. Therefore, they’ll grow best in moderately moist soil. A good rule of thumb is to deeply water your deutzia plant once a week during dry conditions.
Older shrubs have extensive root systems and are less susceptible to drought stress. Therefore, you’ll only need to water them when hot and dry weather sticks around for over a week.
Soil
These plants prefer rich, moist soil, but they’ll also grow well in moderately moist clay, silt, and loam. As long as your soil isn’t supremely sandy, compacted, or wet, the plants will be just fine. If you’re concerned about soil compaction or drainage, you can mix in a few shovels of finished compost before planting.
Fertilizing
When planting, avoid applying fertilizer other than finished compost. It’s also best to hold off on adding fertilizer during the plant’s first year, as this can do more harm than good. These plants are vigorous. Avoid fertilizing invasive species, as they’ll get out of hand.
Once the plant is in its second year of growth, begin fertilizing once per year. Choose a balanced fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 10-10-10 or 12-12-12 and apply it to the base of your shrubs in the early spring.
Planting Instructions
The best time to plant deutzia is in the fall to give it enough time to develop a root system before the spring blooming begins. Dig a hole wider than the nursery container and the same depth. Loosen the soil at the bottom and amend it with compost to improve drainage. Settle the plant at the same level it was in the container with the top of the root ball level with the soil line. Backfill the hole, firm the soil with your hands to eliminate air pockets, and water well.
Gardeners can plant deutzia in spring or summer, but then the shrub needs to be watered weekly until winter.
Propagation
If you want to add some deutzia plants to your garden or share one of your plants with friends, you can propagate new plants from cuttings.
Start by taking a softwood cutting—a stem that’s a bit woody but still pliable—in the summer or early fall. Trim each cutting so it’s 8-12 inches long, remove all but the top leaves, and dip the bottom of the cutting in rooting hormone. Stick the bottom half of the cuttings in a container filled with well-draining potting mix and place them in a garage, covered porch, or other cool area. Another option is to pop the cuttings into soil covered by a cold frame.
No matter where you place the cuttings, keep the soil moist but not wet throughout the fall and winter. Aim to keep the temperature cool but above freezing. By the time spring rolls around, the cuttings should begin to form roots. You can transplant the cuttings when you see new above-ground growth emerge.
Potting and Repotting
Small varieties of deutzia can be planted outside in containers. Choose a container with drainage holes and fill it with a planting medium that has been amended with compost. Most deutzia shrubs are deciduous, so the plant will lose its leaves in winter (a few subtropical varieties are evergreen in warm areas). Repot only when the plant is crowded in its pot.
Pests and Diseases
- Sap-Sucking Pests
Tiny sap-sucking pests like aphids, spider mites, and thrips sometimes appear to drink the sap of the deutzia leaves. These tiny critters use their sharp mouthparts to pierce the leaves, leading to a collection of small dots known as stipples. While a few pests won’t cause much damage, larger infestations can lead to discolored or dropped leaves. Leaf miners may also make their way through the inner membrane of leaves.
Natural predators like ladybugs, green lacewings, and hoverflies often keep these pest populations in check. Cultivating diverse plants and avoiding broad-spectrum insecticides encourages these good bugs to stick around. If you notice these tiny pests are still getting out of control, spray them with neem oil or insecticidal soap during the evening.
- Leaf Spot
Leaf spot is a generic term gardeners use to describe any number of pathogens that lead to discolored spots on leaves. Deutzia leaves sometimes show discolored spots caused by fungi or bacteria pathogens. These spots rarely cause major damage, but you can prune and dispose of infected leaves to help prevent the spread of disease.
- Invasive Growth
Sometimes, deutzia plants can be too hardy for their own good. If left to their own devices, deutzia varieties can self-seed and take over surrounding vegetation. Pulling new deutzia plants can prevent this, but planting native shrubs is the best way to prevent the spread of invasives.
Maintenance
Deutzias will continue to grow and bloom without pruning or other maintenance. And since the plants produce flowers on old growth, pruning can actually limit the number of flowers. With that said, pruning helps maintain a desirable form and is sometimes necessary to remove dead and diseased tissue. If you choose to prune your deutzia, do so immediately after flowering.
Mulching is one maintenance step that can help improve the health of deutzia plants. Applying a layer of wood chips, leaves, pine needles, or other organic materials to the soil around the shrub helps conserve soil moisture and keep deutzias healthy in times of drought.
III. Uses and Benefits
They are lovely in a woodland garden and can be used as border plants and low hedges. The large ones make spectacular specimen shrubs standing alone. These low-maintenance plants are deer-resistant and are useful for erosion control.
IV. Types of Deutzia
There have been fantastic introductions to the deutzia market. One of the first was ‘Chardonnay Pearls,’ which brought interesting foliage into the mix and began the work of shrinking these plants to a more manageable size for the small garden. This has continued to be the trend, with other new varieties like ‘Nikko’ and ‘Yuki Cherry Blossom,’ both of which remain under 2 feet tall and wide. Pink blooms have also been brought into the mix.
- ‘Chardonnay Pearls’ Deutzia
Deutzia gracilis ‘Chardonnay Pearls’ bears clusters of white spring flowers and golden-yellow foliage that looks good through fall. It is marketed specifically for its buds. Just before the flowers burst open, the plants call to mind bubbles running up the side of a flute of sparkling wine. It grows 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Zones 5-8
- ‘Codsall Pink’ Deutzia
Deutzia scabra ‘Codsall Pink’ is an especially showy variety reaching 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide. It features 6-inch-long clusters of double pink flowers in late spring and fuzzy foliage. Zones 5-8
- ‘Magicien’ Deutzia
Deutzia ‘Magicien’ is spangled in spring with starry pink flowers with white backs. It grows 5 feet tall and wide. Zones 6-8
- ‘Pink-A-Boo’ Deutzia
Deutzia ‘Pink-A-Boo’ bears clusters of beautiful pink flowers on a mounding shrub reaching 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Zones 5-8
- Slender Deutzia
Deutzia gracilis is a compact, upright shrub that grows to 3 feet tall and wide. It bears clusters of white flowers in spring. Zones 6-8.
Find Where to Buy the Best Deutzia (Deutzia)
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