Deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls'

Questions about deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls'

Does deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' need sun or shade?

Deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' grow in?

USDA zones 5 to 8. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early May to late May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' be planted?

24 in (60 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 2½ ft (80 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 2½ ft (80 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' plants do I need?

At 24 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 3 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 6 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 10 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension and the ASPCA.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls'?

Deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' comes from Central & South Japan. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Black chokeberry 'Low Scape Mound': the same flowering time and the same colour; an edging, not a drift, 12 in shorter.
• Leadplant: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late June to early August, purple, not white.
• Autumn sage: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers mid May to mid October, wants dry soil.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls'?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls'?

Deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' is over by late May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Cranesbill 'Rozanne': from early June to early October, 18 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems (a recorded partner).
• Weigela 'Wine & Roses': from late May to late June, 4½ ft tall (a recorded partner).
• Ninebark 'Little Devil': from late May to late June, 3½ ft tall (a recorded partner).

What does deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' look like in winter?

Deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.

Is deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' good for bees and butterflies?

Deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' is visited by hummingbirds.