Pieris 'Cavatine'

Questions about pieris 'Cavatine'

Does pieris 'Cavatine' need sun or shade?

Pieris 'Cavatine' grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does pieris 'Cavatine' 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 pieris 'Cavatine' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early April to early 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 pieris 'Cavatine' be planted?

2½ ft (75 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 ft (90 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 2½ ft (75 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many pieris 'Cavatine' plants do I need?

At 2½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:

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

In a mixed border, plant it as one, planted singly: it is the bed's structure, and everything else is arranged around it.

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

Is pieris 'Cavatine' poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts, including the nectar, are highly poisonous if eaten and can affect the heart.

Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like pieris 'Cavatine'?

These come closest to doing what pieris 'Cavatine' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Sweetspire 'Little Henry': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers early June to early July, medium leaves, not fine.
• Summersweet 'Hummingbird': the same job in a bed and the same colour; 6 in taller, 6 in wider.
• Dwarf fothergilla: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 6 in taller, 6 in wider.

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

Do deer eat pieris 'Cavatine'?

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 pieris 'Cavatine'?

Pieris 'Cavatine' is over by early May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Columbine: from early May to mid June, 24 in tall.
• Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Bleeding heart: from early May to early June, 2½ ft tall.

What does pieris 'Cavatine' look like in winter?

Pieris 'Cavatine' keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.