Habitat

• native to eastern and central China
• hardy to zone 5; warmer parts of 4

Habit and Form

• a deciduous shrub
• reaches 8' to 10' tall; can reach 15'
• width equals or exceeds height
• rounded to broad shape
• loose and open architecture
• often becomes overarching or floppy
• twigs slender

Summer Foliage

• deciduous leaves in an alternate arrangement
• simple leaves with an oblong to obovate shape
• some leaves may have serrations toward the apex
• 1" to 3" long and half as wide
• color is medium green
• leafs out early in Spring

Autumn Foliage

• no fall color change to speak of
• sometimes develops a brown color

Flowers

• 5-petaled and white
• about 1.5" across
• held in 3" to 5" long clusters of 6 to 10 flowers
• expanding buds look like pearls
• no fragrance
• bloom time is late April to May
• very showy in bloom

Fruit

• a brown capsule about 0.33" wide
• 5-segmented and dehiscent
• persists on plant

Bark

• a mix of grays, browns and oranges
• rough and scaly on old branches
• relatively attractive

Culture

• sometimes tricky to transplant
• plant container grown stock or use young B&B plants
• full sun to light shade
• quite adaptable and tough once established
• makes its best growth on rich, moist, fertile soils
• soil pH adaptable
• may need occasional rejuvenation pruning to keep it looking tidy
• no serious insect or disease problems

Landscape Use

• shrub borders
• for showy spring flowers
• underutilized in the landscape

Liabilities

• spectacular in flower, but less impressive during the rest of the year
• can become unkempt with age and needs rejuvenation

ID Features

• showy white flowers
• obovate leaves; some with entire margins, some with serrations at the apex
• persistent 5-valved brown fruits
• slender twigs
• small collateral buds at base of larger main bud often present

Propagation

• by cuttings
• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

'The Bride' (E. x macrantha) - A hybrid with E. korolkowii, this is perhaps the most common landscape selection of pearlbush. In bloom the plant is quite attractive, with profuse pure white blooms. The habit is dwarf and rounded, to 4' tall and wide.

'The Pearl' (also listed as 'Irish Pearl') - A hybrid with E. giraldii var. wilsonii, this common selection produces large blooms (to 2" wide) on long, dense flowering shoots. It may grow 10'-15' tall.