Slender deutzia 'Nikko'
Deutzia gracilis 'Nikko' · Hydrangeaceae
A low, wide-spreading shrub buried in small white flowers in late spring. The leaves turn burgundy in autumn.
- Size
- 24 in tall, 5 ft wide
- Zones
- 5 to 8
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Early May to late May
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Edging
A bed built around slender deutzia 'Nikko'
The planner designed this bed around slender deutzia 'Nikko' when this page was made: a 16 × 8 ft (4.9 × 2.4 m) formal bed in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why slender deutzia 'Nikko' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Slender deutzia 'Nikko' × 1, white
- 2 Sedum 'Lidakense' × 35, pink
- 3 False sunflower 'Summer Nights' × 6, yellow
- 4 Bergenia 'Winter Glow' × 6, red
- 5 Hairy beardtongue × 10, lavender
- 6 Asiatic lily × 4, orange
- 7 Persian fritillary × 6, purple
- 8 Allium 'Globemaster' × 4, purple
Why this plant
- The bed's only structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down, and it is the only one here.
- The only fine leaves here. The rest are medium and bold. A change of leaf keeps plants distinct when nothing is in flower.
- The only white. White sits between stronger colours and calms them.
Why here
- In the middle. At 24 in it is seen over sedum 'Lidakense' (4 in) in front of it.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- In flower for four weeks. From early May to late May.
- Part of the bed's peak. With bergenia 'Winter Glow' and persian fritillary in early May: 3 kinds at once. No week has more.
Planned as a formal bed: 72 of the 72 plants (100%) are mirrored across the middle of the bed: each stands on the middle line or has a twin of its own kind opposite it. Bergenia 'Winter Glow' carries the bed through winter. Neither end outweighs the other: the visual weight is split 52 to 48, left to right.
The planner's own design check: 8 Excellent, 9 Good.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where slender deutzia 'Nikko' goes in a border
At 24 in it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in).
Its job: edging. A low, neat plant used in short runs of three or five along the front to finish the edge (or, in a formal bed, in one even row).
It flowers with the late tulips, in a white sheet. The branches root where they touch the ground, making a weed-proof mound.
- A flowering groundcover shrub
- The front of a shrub border
- Trailing over a wall
What to plant with slender deutzia 'Nikko'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Tulip: in flower together for two weeks, from early May.
- Daffodil.
- Cranesbill 'Rozanne': takes over when it finishes, flowering from early June.
Questions about slender deutzia 'Nikko'
Does slender deutzia 'Nikko' need sun or shade?
Slender deutzia 'Nikko' 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 slender deutzia 'Nikko' 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 slender deutzia 'Nikko' 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.
| Zone 5 | Early May to late May |
|---|---|
| Zone 6 | Early May to late May |
| Zone 7 | Late April to mid May |
| Zone 8 | Mid April to early May |
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 slender deutzia 'Nikko' be planted?
3½ ft (100 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 5 ft (150 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 24 in (60 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many slender deutzia 'Nikko' plants do I need?
At 3½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 1 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 3 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is slender deutzia 'Nikko' 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 slender deutzia 'Nikko'?
Slender deutzia 'Nikko' comes from Central & South Japan. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Black chokeberry 'Low Scape Mound': the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 4 in shorter, 16 in narrower.
- Shrubby cinquefoil 'Abbotswood': the same colour; a drift, not an edging, 6 in taller.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat slender deutzia 'Nikko'?
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 slender deutzia 'Nikko'?
Slender deutzia 'Nikko' 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).
- Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Butterfly weed: from late June to early August, 24 in tall.
What does slender deutzia 'Nikko' look like in winter?
Slender deutzia 'Nikko' drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.
Is slender deutzia 'Nikko' good for bees and butterflies?
Slender deutzia 'Nikko' is visited by hummingbirds.
More Deutzia
- Deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' Deutzia gracilis 'Duncan' (Chardonnay Pearls)
- Deutzia 'Yuki Cherry Blossom' Deutzia 'NCDX2' (Yuki Cherry Blossom)
In these guides
- Salt-tolerant plants for roadsides and coasts
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Plants for hummingbirds
- Shrubs under 4 feet for small gardens
- Plants for a white garden
Zone guides: Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8
In flower in: May
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 24 in (60 cm) tall, 5 ft (150 cm) wide
- Plant
- 3½ ft (100 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- Early May to late May; dense clusters; white
- Leaves
- Fine texture, deciduous; green
- Shape
- Mounding, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 8
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Hydrangeaceae
- Comes from
- Central & South Japan
- Attracts
- Hummingbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, drought, salt, pollution
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.