Pieris (/ˈpaɪ.ərɪs/ or /ˈpɪərɪs/[1])[2] is a genus of seven species of shrubs in the flowering plant family Ericaceae, native to mountain regions of eastern and southern Asia, eastern North America and Cuba. Known commonly in North America as andromedas or fetterbushes, they are broad-leaved evergreen shrubs growing to 1–6 metres (3 ft 3 in – 19 ft 8 in) tall and 3–10 ft (0.9–3.0 m) wide. The leaves are spirally arranged, often appearing to be in whorls at the end of each shoot with bare stretches of shoot below; they are lanceolate-ovate, 2–10 cm (0.8–3.9 in) long and 1.0–3.5 cm (0.4–1.4 in) broad, leathery textured, and with an entire or serrated margin. The young leaves in spring are typically brightly coloured. The flowers, which may have a very appealing honey scent, are bell-shaped, 5–15 mm (0.2–0.6 in) long, white or pink, and arranged in racemes 5–12 cm (2.0–4.7 in) long. The fruit is a woody capsule which splits into five sections to release the numerous small seeds.
| Pieris | |
|---|---|
| |
| Pieris japonica | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Subfamily: | Vaccinioideae |
| Tribe: | Lyonieae |
| Genus: | Pieris D.Don |
Pieris species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the engrailed.
The genus name derives from Pieria, a place in Greece, according to Greek mythology the home of the Muses.[1]
Species
edit- Pieris cubensis (Grisebach) Small. Western Cuba.
- Pieris floribunda (Pursh ex Simms) Benth. & Hook. – mountain andromeda, mountain pieris, mountain fetterbush. Eastern United States.
- Pieris formosa (Wallich) D.Don – Chinese pieris, Himalayan pieris. The Himalaya, southwestern China (Yunnan), northern Myanmar.
- Pieris japonica (Thunb.) D.Don ex G.Don – Japanese andromeda. Eastern China, Japan, Taiwan.
- Pieris nana (Maxim.) Makino (syn. Arcterica nana). Japan, eastern Siberia.
- Pieris phillyreifolia (Hook.) DC. – climbing fetterbush. Southeastern United States.
- Pieris swinhoei Hemsley – southeastern China (Fujian, Guangdong).
Cultivation
editThey are commonly grown as ornamental plants, valued for year-round interest due to bright red new growth in early spring, chains of small, white flowers in mid-spring, and buds that remain on the plant through the winter. Numerous cultivars have been selected for different spring foliage colour. They grow best in a shady spot, sheltered from drying, winter winds. They prefer acidic soil, and should be mulched once per year, using a two-inch covering of either peat or composted pine needles. The flowers give the plant one of its alternative names, 'Lily of the valley shrub' (though Pieris is not closely related to Convallaria).
Cultivars
editThe following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-[3]
Toxicity
editPieris floribunda (mountain fetterbush) has been noted as highly toxic.[17][18]
References
edit- ^ a b "Oxford Languages | The Home of Language Data". languages.oup.com.
- ^ "Pieris". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ "AGM Plants – Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 78. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris japonica 'Blush'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris japonica 'Cavatine'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris japonica 'Debutante'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris 'Firecrest'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris 'Flaming Silver'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris 'Forest Flame'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris japonica 'Mountain Fire'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris japonica 'Pink Delight'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris japonica 'Prelude'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris japonica 'Purity'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris japonica 'Sarabande'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris japonica 'Valley Valentine'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Pieris formosa var. forrestii 'Wakehurst'". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ Pieris japonica Archived 2013-01-04 at the Wayback Machine North Carolina State University "Poisonous Plants of North Carolina" online reference]
- ^ "Pieris floribunda (Fetterbush, Mountain Andromeda, Mountain Fetter-bush, Mountain Pieris) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu.
External links
edit
Media related to Pieris at Wikimedia Commons
- Germplasm Resources Information Network: Pieris
- Flora of China: Pieris
- Kathleen A. Kron & Walter S. Judd (1997). "Systematics of the Lyonia group (Andromedeae, Ericaceae) and the use of species as terminals in higher-level cladistic analyses". Systematic Botany. 22 (3): 479–492. doi:10.2307/2419822. JSTOR 2419822.
- New York Botanic Garden: Pieris cubensis
- Pieris.eu – Information about Pieris japonica