Pieris japonica 'White Water'

'White Water' is aptly named, for the long chains of blooms really do resemble water when they ripple in the breeze. Eyecatching and very beautiful, the flowers begin before the final cold weather of winter has passed, delighting with their promise of spring just around the corner! They remain through the early weeks of spring, complementing the first bulbs, the Forsythia in the sunny border, and the flowering Helleborus in the shade.

Compact and very dense, this mounding shrub reaches 6 to 10 feet high and wide, the ideal size for a privacy screen or hedge as well as a back-of-the-border standout. It follows its blooms with strings of brown fruits, very handsome and long-lasting, which delight hungry songbirds for months.

The foliage of this shrub emerges pale green on red shoots, with an elongated oval shape and nice leathery texture. It matures to olive green, and the twigs to gray, but the spring show is quite colorful. This foliage is tough and weather-resistant, lasting through winter without damage even in the northern reaches of its hardiness range.

'White Water' is simply a splendid Pieris. Try it alongside rosy-bloomed 'Valley Rose,' and among other early-blooming shade lovers such as Corylopsis and Edgeworthia. Very fast-growing, it is adds architectural beauty to any display, and charms with year-round interest. Zones 5-7.