Pieris 'Little Heath'
Pieris japonica 'Little Heath' · Ericaceae
A dwarf pieris with small leaves edged in silver-white, and new growth flushed pink and copper.
- Size
- 2½ ft tall, 2½ ft wide
- Zones
- 5 to 8
- Light
- Part sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers early April to late April
- Pets
- Toxic (severe)
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around pieris 'Little Heath'
The planner designed this bed around pieris 'Little Heath' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why pieris 'Little Heath' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Pieris 'Little Heath' × 1, variegated leaves
- 2 Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' × 6, pink
- 3 Bloody cranesbill 'Max Frei' × 3, pink
- 4 Swamp milkweed 'Ice Ballet' × 3, white
- 5 Turtlehead 'Hot Lips' × 5, pink
- 6 Golden ragwort × 14, yellow
- 7 Snow crocus × 12, blue
- 8 Spring starflower × 12, blue
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- The bed's only structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down, and it is the only one here.
Why here
- At the back. At 2½ ft it is seen over golden ragwort (20 in) in front of it, and has nothing behind it to hide.
- A step in the back row. Next to golden ragwort (20 in) and turtlehead 'Hot Lips' (3 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, all year. They cover the 9 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
- The only leaves in winter. From November to March it is what there is to look at.
Planned as an English border: 6 of the 6 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Neither end outweighs the other: the visual weight is split 49 to 51, left to right. Golden ragwort repeats along the bed to tie it together.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 5 Good.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where pieris 'Little Heath' goes in a border
At 2½ ft it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium (24 in to 2½ ft).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
Grown for its foliage: it flowers sparsely. A neat, slow, bright evergreen for the front of an acid, shaded bed or a pot.
- Variegated evergreen for the front
- Containers in shade
- Small woodland gardens
What to plant with pieris 'Little Heath'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Japanese painted fern: low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Coral bells: low enough (12 in) to stand in front of it.
- Black mondo grass: spires rising out of its mound; low enough (8 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about pieris 'Little Heath'
Does pieris 'Little Heath' need sun or shade?
Pieris 'Little Heath' 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 'Little Heath' 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.
How far apart should pieris 'Little Heath' 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 (75 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 'Little Heath' 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 pieris 'Little Heath' 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 'Little Heath'?
These come closest to doing what pieris 'Little Heath' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Arborvitae 'Mr. Bowling Ball': the same job in a bed and the same size.
- Deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers early May to late May, not evergreen.
- Palm sedge: the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, not evergreen.
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 'Little Heath'?
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 does pieris 'Little Heath' look like in winter?
Pieris 'Little Heath' keeps its variegated and 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.
More Pieris
- Japanese pieris Pieris japonica
- Pieris 'Cavatine' Pieris japonica 'Cavatine'
- Pieris 'Mountain Fire' Pieris japonica 'Mountain Fire'
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 2½ ft (75 cm) tall, 2½ ft (75 cm) wide
- Plant
- 24 in (60 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium (24 in to 2½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- Early April to late April; hanging bells; white, pink
- Leaves
- Fine texture, evergreen; variegated, green
- Shape
- Rounded, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 8
- Light
- Part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Comes from
- SE China, Central to Southern Japan, and Taiwan
- Stands up to
- Deer
Checked against NC State Extension and ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.