How to Grow & Care for Deutzia Plants
Add this hardy carefree shrub to your landscape. Published 9/14/2022
Yuki Cherry Blossom® deutzia. Photo by: Proven Winners
Deutzia is an often-overlooked deciduous shrub that deserves to be more widely used in the landscape. For two weeks or longer in spring, dazzling clusters of fragrant bell-shaped flowers bloom against a backdrop of finely textured foliage. A member of the hydrangea family, some deutzia varieties have fall color and exfoliating bark, offering multi-seasonal interest.
There are about 60 species of Deutzia, from dwarf ground covers to larger types up to 10 feet tall. Native to Asia and Japan, this versatile shrub can be used as a ground cover, hedging, privacy screening, in mass plantings, containers, or borders. Deutzia is virtually maintenance-free once established, with few insect or disease problems. Here’s how to grow and care for deutzia.
On this page: Basics | Planting | Care | Varieties | Landscaping Ideas
BASICS
Botanical name:
Deutzia spp.
Zones:
5-8
Plant type:
Deciduous shrub
Exposure:
Full sun to part shade
Habit:
Bushy, upright or ground cover habit
Size:
1 to 10 feet tall, 2 to 8 feet wide, depending on variety
Bloom time:
Mid spring to early summer, depending on the variety
Color and characteristics:
Deutzia is a deciduous multi-stemmed shrub with a dense mounding or spreading habit and slender arching branches. Green, yellow or variegated leaves are oblong or lance-shaped with serrated edges, growing up to 3 inches long. The foliage creates fine texture and a pleasing backdrop to other plants. Some varieties have fall color or exfoliating bark that provides multi-season interest.
Flowers:
Bell-shaped white or pink flowers have five petals and are 1 inch or less across, occurring in dense clusters for two weeks or more in spring. Flowers attract bees and other insect pollinators.
Is deutzia poisonous?
Deutzia is not considered toxic to pets or children.
Is deutzia deer resistant?
Deutzia is seldom bothered by deer, though may experience some browsing if other food sources are scarce.
HOW TO PLANT DEUTZIA
When to plant:
Plant deutzia during cooler months in spring or fall to avoid transplant shock from extreme summer heat.
Where to plant:
Place in a site that receives full to partial sun with rich soil and good drainage. Plants will bloom best in full sun and will benefit from some afternoon shade in hotter climates to prevent leaf bleaching or scald.
How to plant:
Loosen soil in the planting area and amend with compost or other rich organic matter. Dig a hole twice as wide and slightly shallower than the root ball. Remove plant from the nursery container and loosen roots if potbound. Place in the hole so the top of the root ball is level or slightly above the surrounding soil. Fill in the hole with soil, tamp down gently, and water thoroughly. Water regularly until established.
DEUTZIA CARE
Yuki Snowflake®. Photo by: Proven Winners
Temperature:
In colder regions, plants may need protection from late spring frosts to prevent tip dieback, which can affect flowering.
Pruning and deadheading:
Deutzia blooms on the previous year’s growth (old wood). Prune just after plants are done flowering. Trim branches back to just below the spent flower stalks. Cut plants back by no more than one-third of the total size. Remove any dead or damaged branches and lightly shape as needed. To rejuvenate older plants, prune out one-third of the oldest canes in early spring.
Soil:
Deutzia does best in rich, well drained soils with a pH between 6.0 and 8.0. Plants are tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions including sand or clay, and a range of pH levels as long as there is adequate drainage.
Amendments and fertilizer:
In early spring, apply a slow-release balanced fertilizer according to instructions, or one that is especially formulated for trees and shrubs. Mulch around the base with organic matter to add nutrients, suppress weeds and conserve water.
Watering:
Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy. Overwatering or poor drainage can result in root rot. Established plants are somewhat drought tolerant. Water when the soil surface becomes dry 1 to 2 inches down.
Pests and diseases:
When grown in the right conditions, deutzia is free of most pests and diseases. Pests can include aphids or leaf miners. Diseases include fungal leaf spot.
DEUTZIA VARIETIES
Photo by: Proven Winners
Yuki Cherry Blossom® — Buy now from Proven Winners
Deutzia hybrid
Height and spread:
Low mounding habit; 1 to 2 feet tall and wide
Two-toned magenta and white flowers reminiscent of cherry blossoms create a cheerful carpet of color in spring. Deep green foliage turns burgundy in fall, lending multi-season interest. The low mounding habit is suitable as a ground cover, in mass plantings, containers, or as edging.
Photo by: Proven Winners
Chardonnay Pearls® — Buy now from Proven Winners
Deutzia gracilis
Height and spread:
Compact habit; 20 to 36 inches tall and wide
Clusters of pearl-like buds open to white star-shaped flowers. Golden yellow lance-shaped foliage offers vibrant color throughout the growing season. Pair with purple or burgundy foliaged plants for complementary color. The compact habit is suitable for foundation plantings, as low hedging, in containers or mixed borders.
Photo by: Proven Winners
Yuki Snowflake® — Buy now from Proven Winners
Deutzia hybrid
Height and spread:
Low mounding habit; 1 to 2 feet tall and wide
Yuki Snowflake® is an exceptionally heavy bloomer with fragrant snowy white flowers that cover the plant in spring. Green lance-shaped foliage turns burgundy in fall. Use this compact variety as a ground cover, in containers, mass plantings, or as pathway edging.
Photo by: Jacki Dougan / Millette Photomedia
‘Magicien’, syn. ‘Magician'
Deutzia hybrid
Height and spread:
Upright rounded habit; 4 to 7 feet tall, 4 to 6 feet wide
This award-winning variety is grown for the stunning pink and white flowers that bloom in prolific clusters for two weeks from late spring to early summer. Bright green leaves turn burgundy in fall. Use this medium-sized shrub as a foundation planting, hedging, in a mixed border, or as a stand-alone accent.
Photo by: Rod Waddington / Flickr
‘Pink-a-Boo’, syn. ‘Monzia’
Deutzia hybrid
Height and spread:
Upright arching habit; 6 to 8 feet tall and wide
‘Pink-a-Boo’ looks similar to ‘Magician,’ but with slightly paler pink flowers and a larger growth habit. The graceful arching habit makes this useful as privacy screening, hedging, or a background plant in a woodland setting.
Photo by: Katja Schultz / Flickr
Slender Deutzia
Deutzia gracilis
Height and spread:
Upright bushy habit; 2 to 5 feet tall and wide
Also known as Japanese snow flower, this common species is characterized by a dense rounded growth habit with slender arching branches. Clusters of small white bell-shaped flowers, which are pleasingly fragrant, bloom for two weeks in mid spring. Use in a foundation planting, as hedging, or a background plant in a woodland border.
Photo by: Spring Meadow Nursery
'Nikko'
Deutzia gracilis
Height and spread:
Compact spreading habit; 1 to 2 feet tall, 2 to 5 feet wide
The slow growth rate and compact habit makes this dwarf variety especially suited for small spaces. Foliage turns deep burgundy in fall. Use this versatile variety as a ground cover, massed along a slope, as edging at the front of a bed, in containers, along a rock wall, or in mass plantings.
Photo by: Anna Hoychuk / Shutterstock
'Nikko Blush'
Deutzia x rosea
Height and spread:
Bushy spreading habit; 3 to 4 feet tall, 4 to 5 feet wide
This hybrid cross between ‘Nikko’ and ‘Carminea’ produces bright pink buds that open to soft pink flowers. Delicate willow-like green foliage, which lends fine texture to the landscape, turns deep burgundy in fall. The medium-sized habit is versatile in mixed borders, mass plantings, containers, or as hedging.
Photo by: Spring Meadow Nursery
Crème Fraiche®, syn. ‘Mincream’
Deutzia gracilis
Height and spread:
Compact habit; 1 to 2 feet tall, 1 to 3 feet wide
Leaves are green with a creamy yellow margin, providing a showy backdrop to the white bell-shaped flowers for multi-seasonal appeal. Use this smaller variety as low hedging, in containers, as a stand-alone focal point, or massed in the landscape.
Photo by: Olya Maximenko / Shutterstock
‘Raspberry Sundae’
Deutzia hybrid
Height and spread:
Upright bushy habit; 3 to 4 feet tall and wide
Striking white flowers with pink-purple tips are larger than other deutzia, blooming over a longer period of time, from mid spring to mid-summer. Textured green foliage turns auburn in fall. Use this medium-sized shrub in containers, foundation plantings, as hedging, or in mass plantings.
Photo by: Gabriela Beres / Shutterstock
Fuzzy Deutzia
Deutzia scabra
Height and spread:
Upright arching habit; 6 to 10 feet tall, 4 to 8 feet wide
Snow-white fragrant flowers have a frilly appearance, blooming for 2 weeks or more in late spring. Oval leaves have tiny hairs on either side, hence the common name. Mature specimens exhibit reddish-brown exfoliating bark, adding winter interest to the landscape. Use this larger shrub as privacy screening or a background plant in a woodland border. May be invasive in some regions of the U.S.
LANDSCAPING IDEAS
For borders and landscapes: Choose medium to larger sized varieties for foundation plantings, beds, mixed borders, hedging and mass plantings. Dwarf varieties can be used as edging for borders or pathways.
For slopes and hillsides: Mass a ground cover type along a slope to help stem erosion.
For containers: Grow smaller varieties in containers.
There are many ways to grow Deutzia in your landscape. Here’s how:
- Combine a medium-sized variety in a foundation planting with other shrubs that bloom at different times for season-long color. Include evergreens or varieties with colored foliage for more interest.
- Plant a taller variety as a hedge along a property line to provide privacy.
- Light up a semi-shaded area with a variegated variety combined with gold or chartreuse foliaged plants.
- Mass a dwarf type along an entryway or side yard for a low-maintenance ground cover.
- Plant a small to medium-sized variety as a hedge to divide garden rooms for definition and privacy.
- Use a taller type as a background plant in a mixed border for texture and to set off adjacent plants.
- Plant a dwarf variety in two large decorative containers and place on either side of an entryway for a welcoming statement.
- Mass a low growing type along a slope for erosion control and a dramatic springtime display. Choose a variety that also has fall color to extend seasonal interest.
