Name: Deutzia gracilis Chardonnay Pearls aka chardonnay pearls deutzia

Type of Plant: This is a small shrub that has bright yellow foliage in the spring and early summer, and lime green leaves from mid-summer to fall. In late spring into early summer it’s also filled with charming white flowers. The buds are white and round at first – the “pearls” in the name – and then they open into panicles of pure white bloom. This deciduous shrub is hardy in zones 5-8 and grows well in sun to part-shade. 

Why I Love/Hate this plant: I love this plant because it’s perfectly sized for foundation plantings and flower gardens. It grows to about 3 feet tall and wide. I also love how bright the foliage is early in the season; the plant adds color to the garden from when the leaves come out into fall. It’s a great plant for a variety of situations, even a large container.

A Word to the Wise: Prune this plant right after it finishes flowering, but don’t shear it into a round meatball or cube…it’s really pretty with the natural soft shape. Hand clip off any limbs that are wildly out of place or growing a lot taller than the rest of the plant.

This Deutzia is a small shrub that captures the sunshine! When the flower buds are small, they do indeed look like pearls.

You can’t go wrong by placing this plant near another shrub with purple, blue, or variegated foliage.