Deutzia x “Strawberry Fields” – Bridal Flower
Each petal is purple with a white throat and delicate white edge.
Habit:
This is a bushy, deciduous shrub, usually growing to about 2.5M. The specimen pictured here is unusually tall. The masses of flowers are borne in late spring. The display lasts particularly well as the flowers are in terminal pannicles that open progressively from the base.
Origins:
Deutzia x “Strawberry Fields” is a hybrid of D. discolour and D. longifolia, both of which are native to Yunnan and Sechuan provinces in China, growing in forests on mountain slopes. This is a classic variety of a classic plant, and has the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in the UK.
Soil / Aspect:
This is a fully hardy plant which seems to enjoy any soil that is not waterlogged. However to flower best it does like to have its feet in soil that does not dry out, with its head in the sun. In a small garden this may be achieved by planting on the south or east side of a fence. On the west side of a fence it will not enjoy being baked by the afternoon summer sun.
Maintenance:
D. Strawberry Fields flowers on old wood, so it may be pruned after flowering as usual. The stems lose vigour after a few years and it is normal to cut some of the older stems down to the base each year, which is one reason why you do not normally see specimens as tall as the one pictured above.