Enkianthus campanulatus
Enkianthus campanulatus
The hardiest of ''Enkianthus'' species is ''E. campanulatus'' , a medium-sized, narrow, upright, deciduous shrub. Its bright green glossy foliage gives brilliant coppery to red fall colors. In spring it offers a profusion of bell-shaped , creamy white flowers with red veins, similar to those of the distantly related ''Pieris''.
The plant was brought to England by Charles Maries, who was plant-hunting in Japan at the time for Veitch Nurseries. The shrub can exceed expectations of height under the right circumstances, as at William Robinson's Gravetye Manor, where a pair planted about the turn of the 20th century reached 15 ft .
The plant was brought to England by Charles Maries, who was plant-hunting in Japan at the time for Veitch Nurseries. The shrub can exceed expectations of height under the right circumstances, as at William Robinson's Gravetye Manor, where a pair planted about the turn of the 20th century reached 15 ft .