Pearlbush

Pearlbush: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Rounded shrub about 1.5 m high and wide, with arching branches.

Leaves

Obovate, 4–7 cm, fresh green; deciduous.

Flower

Pure white, with five petals, 3–4 cm across, in loose clusters on short side shoots, in April–May.

Bud

Round, pearly white buds that stand out for a few days before flowering.

Fruit

A dry, star-shaped capsule with five ribs.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: May–June

Why grow it?

• An abundant white spring display, with buds that look like pearls.
• Compact and graceful: ‘The Bride’ fits even a small garden.
• Bees visit the open flowers in spring.
• Very hardy and rarely troubled by disease.
• After flowering, a calm, fresh green backdrop for summer plants.

Pearlbush: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; it flowers best in sun.
• Ordinary, preferably humus-rich garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky; on very chalky, shallow soil the leaves may turn a little yellow.
• Moist: do not let it dry out, but avoid wet roots.
• Allow 1.5 m of space; lovely as a specimen or at the front of a shrub border.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

1.5 m tall, 1.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Tulip: Colourful spring bulbs beneath the white flowers.
• Forget-me-not: A cloud of blue at its feet, at the same time.
• Bleeding heart: Pink or white hearts in April–May, even in partial shade.
• Lenten rose: Flowers before the pearlbush and keeps the border interesting early in the year.
• Cranesbill: Takes over the flowering in summer, when the pearlbush is green.

Pearlbush: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or October–November.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil.
4. Keep 1.2–1.5 m away from other shrubs.
5. Water thoroughly straight away and during dry spells in the first year.
6. Spread a mulch of compost or wood chips around the base.

Care

Water

In dry spells during the first year; after that only in long dry periods.

Feeding

Compost or an organic fertiliser for flowering shrubs in March.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould keeps the soil moist and rich in humus.

Deadheading

No need to do it separately; the faded flowers go with the prune after flowering.

Containers

‘The Bride’ can grow for a few years in a large pot; water regularly.

Tip: Straight after flowering, remove a few old branches: new shoots will grow that will be covered in pearls again next year.

Pearlbush: when to prune it?

Pruning months: May–June.

When: Straight after flowering, from late May into June. It flowers on the previous year’s wood.

How:

• Cut the flowered shoots back to just above a strong young shoot.
• Each year remove one or two of the oldest branches at the base, to make room for young ones.
• Remove thin, weak or crossing branches.

Caution: If you prune in winter or early spring, you cut off the flower buds.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Softwood cuttings

In June: cuttings of 8–10 cm from young shoots in moist cutting compost under plastic, in a bright spot out of direct sun.

Layering

In spring, peg a low branch into the soil and cover it; sever it after a year and replant.

Pearlbush: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Very hardy, to about −25 °C: no protection needed in Belgium.
• The buds tolerate ordinary spring frosts; a severe late frost can turn the flowers brown, though.
• In a pot: stand it against a wall in winter and wrap the pot.

Diseases and pests

• Few flowers: Usually caused by pruning in winter or too much shade. Prune only straight after flowering.
• Yellow leaves: On very chalky or wet soil. Add leaf mould and make sure drainage is good.
• Aphids: On young shoots in spring. Spray off with water; ladybirds will do the rest.
• Drought stress: Limp, withering leaves in a dry summer. Water generously and mulch.

Through the year

• March: Plant. Give compost.
• April: Plant. Pearl buds and first flowers.
• May: Flowering. Prune straight after flowering.
• June: Prune if not yet done. Take softwood cuttings.
• July: Water in dry weather.
• August: Water young plants in dry spells.
• October: Plant.
• November: Plant. Leaf fall.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The round buds gave it its name: pearlbush in English, parelstruik in Dutch.
• Exochorda × macrantha arose around 1900 at the Lemoine nursery in Nancy, France.
• It belongs to the rose family, like spiraea, which it somewhat resembles in flower.