Deutzia

Deutzia (Deutzia scabra)

Fuzzy Deutzia, Rough Deutzia

Full sun to part shade; medium moisture, well-drained; tolerates clay once established; pH 6.0-7.5.

6-10 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide, upright arching; blooms May-June with dense panicles of white or pale pink flowers covering the arching canes; deciduous; does not fruit ornamentally; spreads slowly by suckering.

Propagation: softwood cuttings root readily in early summer; hardwood cuttings can be taken in late fall.

Native region: Not native to Tennessee; ornamental introduction from China and Japan.

Deutzia is a reliable flowering shrub for Middle Tennessee that delivers a heavy spring bloom display and otherwise requires minimal maintenance. The primary pruning requirement is thinning out the oldest, most congested canes immediately after bloom in June, deutzia blooms on previous year's wood, so pruning in late fall or winter removes the next season's flower buds. Rejuvenation by removing one-third of the oldest canes each year over three years maintains an open, productive framework. In Middle Tennessee's humid climate, deutzia has low disease susceptibility compared to other spring-flowering shrubs, though powdery mildew can affect foliage in low-airflow interior plantings by August. Scale insects occasionally infest canes; dormant oil applied before bud break controls most scale populations. Deer browse the soft new growth in spring in areas with high deer pressure.