Rough deutzia

Family: Hydrangeaceae. Native range: occurs wild in Japan and China. It received its name for its very rough leaves, entirely covered with small, stellate hairs.

A small (up to 2.5 m), very graceful shrub, flowering later than other species of the genus for 2–3 weeks. The bark of the shoots is red or gray-brown, later peeling. Leaves elongate-ovate, 3–8 cm, dull green on both sides, coarsely pubescent, turning yellow-brown in autumn. Flowers white or slightly pinkish, gathered in erect, attractive, narrow racemes up to 12 cm long.

Used for solitary and group plantings and for creating borders. First introduced into cultivation in 1822. Its garden forms are very good, especially those with white and pink double flowers, under the weight of which the shoots arch, giving the shrub a striking appearance. Not sufficiently hardy, it may be damaged down to the snow level, although it is one of the more hardy deutzias. Nevertheless, planting in locations protected from wind and winter covering is preferable, especially for young plants.