Scarlet O'Hara Pieris

Light Needs

Part Sun to Full Sun

(5+ Hours Direct Sun)

Mature Height

6-10 Feet

Mature Spread

4-6 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 8

Scarlet-red new foliage gives Scarlet O'Hara Pieris a spring display before many shrubs have fully woken up. Pieris japonica 'Scarlet O'Hara' follows that fresh growth with glossy green evergreen leaves and drooping clusters of white bell-shaped flowers. This upright shrub can reach 6 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 7 feet wide, making it more substantial than many pieris selections. We think it is especially useful behind smaller azaleas or along a shaded foundation, where the red new leaves can be seen above lower plantings.

Scarlet O'Hara Pieris is a broadleaf evergreen with an upright, layered habit and flower buds that form in late summer for the following spring. The parent species is native to Japanese woodlands, which helps explain its preference for cool roots, organic soil, and shelter from harsh exposure. The white spring flowers attract bees and other pollinators, and the foliage is commonly left alone by deer. Use it for larger hedgerows, mass plantings, woodland edges, shaded entries, or acid-soil shrub borders with year-round structure.

Scarlet O'Hara Pieris Care

Plant Scarlet O'Hara Pieris in partial shade, filtered sun, or morning sun with afternoon shade, especially in warmer climates. In cooler zones, it can take more sun when the soil stays evenly moist. Grow it in fertile, moist but well-drained soil with an acidic to slightly acidic pH of about 5.5 to 6.5.

Water deeply after planting, then check the root zone before watering again so the soil stays damp but not saturated. Wilting new tips or curled leaves during hot, dry weather mean the plant needs a slow soak. Feed in spring with an acid-forming fertilizer labeled for azaleas, camellias, or rhododendrons. This evergreen shrub keeps its leaves through winter.

Remove spent flower clusters right after bloom without cutting into the new leaf flush below them. Prune stray or damaged branches back to a healthy lateral branch after flowering, since late pruning can remove next spring’s buds. A pine bark or leaf mulch helps keep roots cool and supports the acidic soil conditions pieris prefer.

Scarlet O'Hara Pieris Spacing

Space Scarlet O'Hara Pieris 3.5 to 4 feet apart for a full hedge or mass planting, and 8 feet or more apart when you want each shrub to stand separately. Use a large container at least 20 to 24 inches wide with drainage holes and an acidic potting mix for patio growing. Great landscape companions include azaleas and rhododendron, leucothoe, hellebore, or bleeding heart in shaded acidic beds. For containers, combine with pansies or primrose in cool-season displays where steady moisture and filtered light suit the planting.

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