Enkianthus campanulatus

Enkianthus campanulatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Subfamily: Enkianthoideae
Genus: Enkianthus
Species: E. campanulatus
Binomial name
Enkianthus campanulatus

The hardiest of Enkianthus species is E. campanulatus (furin-tsutsuji or redvein enkianthus), a medium-sized, narrow, upright, deciduous shrub. Its bright green glossy foliage gives brilliant coppery to red fall colors. In spring it offers a profusion of bell-shaped (campanula, "little bell"), creamy white flowers with red veins, similar to those of the distantly related Pieris.[1]

The plant was brought to England by Charles Maries, who was plant-hunting in Japan at the time for Veitch Nurseries. The shrub can exceed expectations of height under the right circumstances, as at William Robinson's Gravetye Manor, where a pair planted about the turn of the 20th century reached 15 ft (5 m).[2]

Characteristics

Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Spacing: 4' to 5' apart
Average height x width: 10' tall x 5' wide
Fertilizing: Fertilize in spring just before new growth begins
Cold hardiness: -20°F
Water use: Keep soil evenly moist. Prefers acid, well-drained soil.

Widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in parks and gardens, this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3]

References

  1. "Enkianthus campanulatus". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  2. Alice M. Coats, Garden Shrubs and Their Histories (1964) 1992, s.v. "Enkianthus".
  3. "Enkianthus campanulatus". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
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