Quick Guide: spring, hardy, semi-shade, height: 3.6m/12ft, width: 4.5m/15ft

Pieris formosa is a shapely evergreen shrub, the leaves of which are a warm red when young and turn green later. It bears drooping panicles of lily-of-the-valley-like flowers in late spring. Pieris are handsome slow-growing shrubs which may be planted as specimens or in a mixed border.

GROWING Lime-free soil is essential. Set out young plants in autumn or spring in a sheltered position. Do not allow the soil to dry out during the summer. Give an annual top-dressing of leaf-mould or peat in spring. Pruning is minimal - simply remove faded flowerheads and cut back straggling shoots at the same time.

PROPAGATION Take 10cm/4in cuttings of half-ripe shoots in late summer and place in sandy soil in a cold frame. Pot up individually the following spring, using a mixture of equal parts of peat, loam, leaf-mould and sand. Keep in the cold frame, transferring to a nursery bed in the autumn to grow on for 2-3 years before planting in their permanent positions.

VARIETIES `Forrestii', noted for the vivid red of the young foliage and quantity of flowers.

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS Generally trouble-free.