Other Names:  Japanese Pieris, Japanese Andromeda

Group/Class:  Enchanted Forest Collection

Brand:  Monrovia

Description:

An exquisite evergreen shrub cherished for its delicate and showy chains of creamy white, bell-shaped flowers over dark green leaves, followed by glossy red new growth; performs best in moist, organic and acidic soils; resistant to lace bugs; very showy

Ornamental Features

Enchanted Forest® River Nymph™ Lily of the Valley Shrub features dainty clusters of white bell-shaped flowers at the ends of the branches from late winter to early spring. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage which emerges brick red in spring. The glossy narrow leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Enchanted Forest® River Nymph™ Lily of the Valley Shrub 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.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Enchanted Forest® River Nymph™ Lily of the Valley Shrub is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Enchanted Forest® River Nymph™ Lily of the Valley Shrub will grow to be about 6 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.