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Key characteristics

Family: Ericaceae
Height: 5 to 7 feet
Width: 5 to 7 feet
Flower color: Deep red, turning pink as they mature
Foliage color: Evergreen with bronze-red new growth
Bloom time: Late winter to early spring
Light: Part shade
Water: Average water; prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soil
Maintenance: Low; remove spent flowers after bloom
Growing zone: USDA zones 5 to 8
Wildlife: Attracts hummingbirds and pollinators; deer-resistant

Shrubs

Pieris japonica 'Valley Valentine'

Valley Valentine Pieris

Pieris japonica 'Valley Valentine' is a beautiful evergreen shrub known for its deep red flower buds that develop in late fall and open into pendant clusters of dark pink flowers in late winter to early spring. These blooms provide a welcome burst of color during the cooler months, enhancing gardens and landscapes with their soft elegance.

This cultivar is particularly notable for its bronzy-red new foliage, which emerges in spring, adding seasonal interest and contrast to the plant's year-round dark green leaves.

Light

Part shade

Water

Average water; prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soil

Bloom time

Late winter to early spring

Find this plant

Works well in

Shade Gardens
Woodland Gardens
Containers
Deer Prone Areas

Companion plants

Holly · Pulmonaria · Oxalis · Japanese aralia · Celandine · Coral bells

Design tip

Carry rich color through the quieter months with ‘Valley Valentine,’ whose deep red buds develop in fall and remain ornamental before opening into dark pink flowers. Bronzy-red new foliage follows in spring, creating a long sequence of warm color against the dark evergreen leaves.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)