Kerria japonica is an upright to arching, green-stemmed
shrub with golden-yellow late spring and sporadic summer flowers.
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F E A T U R E S |
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Form
-small ornamental shrub
-maturing at up to 5' tall x 6' wide
-arching clump growth habit, becoming rounded with age
-rapid growth rate from its basal shoots, but slow growth rate from the established stems |
Foliage
-emerging as a bright medium-green color and changing to dark green as the season progresses
-deciduous, alternate, ovate to lanceolate, doubly serrated, with impressed veins and an acuminate apex
-green to yellowish green autumn color that is persistent into Nov. |
Flowers
-bright golden-yellow, in Apr. and May and sporadically throughout the summer
-1.5" diameter solitary flowers can be very dense on the stems if sited in full sun
-each golden-yellow flower is effective for 2-3 weeks and has a good contrast against the green foliage background |
Fruit
-small, brown, and ornamentally inconspicuous |
Twig
-bright kelly green, even in winter
-stems are very thin, somewhat zigzag, and have small brown conical winter buds
-dead stems are white-brown, noticeable, and often in the center of mature shrubs, and should be annually removed every late winter or early spring |
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Trunk
-not applicable |
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C U L T
U R E
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Culture
-full sun to full shade
-prefers a moist, rich, well-drained, slightly acidic soil in partial sun, but will tolerate poor soils, various soil pHs, heat, drought, and various sun or shade conditions
-propagated primarily by rooted stem cuttings, but also by separation of the rooted suckers
-Rose Family, with few disease or pest problems, although death of the older, usually central stems in the winter is fairly common with mature shrubs
moderately available in container form
-tolerant of heavy pruning, which can be used to rejuvenate old plants |
Hardiness
-zones 4 to 9
Origin
-native to China
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U S A G E |
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Assets
-evergreen (light green) stems on a deciduous shrub
showy yellow flowers in late spring and sporadically thereafter
-rapid growth and vigor once established
Liabilities
-spreads underground beyond its original space and is invasive by peripheral suckers, except in a root-restricted site (such as in a raised bed, or between a sidewalk and a foundation)
-central stems on mature plants often dieback during winter (especially when sited in poorly drained soils) and turn off-white, and result in necessary maintenance for their selective removal in early spring |
Function
-foundation, specimen, group planting, or mass planting shrub, good for naturalizing in the border or in erosion control situations
-good winter stem contrast against red brick or white stone walls
Texture
-medium-fine texture in foliage and very fine-texture when bare
-open to average density in foliage but thick density when bare (for mature plants) |
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S E L
E C T I 0 N S |
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Varieties
and Cultivars
- Search
OSU PlantFacts for additional plants in this species
Alternates
-shrubs with winter stem appeal (Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku', Chionanthus retusus, Cornus sericea cultivars, Corylus avellana 'Contorta', etc.)
-shrubs with showy yellow flowers in spring (Cornus mas, Forsythia, Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise', etc.)
-naturalizing shrubs that can be used in the border or for erosion control (Acanthopanax sieboldianus, Cornus alba, Salix purpurea, Sambucus canadensis) |