Pieris japonica

Pieris japonica, the Japanese andromeda or Japanese pieris, is a plant in the family Ericaceae. It is native to eastern China, Taiwan, and Japan where it grows in mountain thickets.[2] It is widely cultivated in gardens, and a parent of the cultivated hybrid 'Forest Flame'. Its cultivars 'Blush Bonfire', 'Carnaval', 'Cavatine', 'Debutante', 'Mountain Fire', 'Pink Delight', 'Prelude', 'Purity', 'Sarabande', and 'Valley Valentine', as well as 'Forest Flame' have all gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3]

Japanese andromeda
Inflorescence
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Pieris
Species:
P. japonica
Binomial name
Pieris japonica
(Thunb.) D. Don ex G. Don
Synonyms[1]

Andromeda japonica Thunb. L.

Description

Pieris japonica is a shrub or a small tree (1–4 metres or 3.3–13.1 feet tall, occasionally up to 10 metres) with alternate, simple leaves on brittle stems. The flowers are white and borne in early spring. The plant is poisonous if consumed by people or animals.[4] The name "andromeda" originated from an earlier genus name for the plant. The flower blooms in February or March and lasts usually for two or three weeks. There is neurotoxin (grayanotoxin) in its petals, leaves, and pollen. It will cause painful burning in the mouth when eaten, and when ingested could lead to seizures, temporary blindness, or even a coma.[5]

References
  1. "Pieris japonica". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  2. Fang Ruizheng, Peter F. Stevens. "Pieris japonica". Flora of China. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  3. "AGM Plants March 2020 © RHS – ORNAMENTAL" (PDF). The Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  4. Smith, M. C. (1978). "Japanese pieris poisoning in the goat". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 173 (1): 78–79. PMID 670056.
  5. Robinson, Gaius. "Pieris Japonica--Stay Away Deer". Retrieved 26 June 2015.
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