In the world of coarse, sprightly, deciduous shrubs that brighten up home and garden spaces, deutzia remains an ever-favorite. The most common among the family, called Deutzia scabra in botanics, is characterized as a small shrub.
It grows around 10 inches tall at its largest, and it is recognizable through the crown shape the foliage grows into. Follow the instructions given in our guide to grow the Deutzia and care for it the best you can!
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What is the Deutzia?
The plant originated from Japan and China, though some species can be traced back to Europe as well. The plant is often generally called “fuzzy” deutzia, because of minuscule, sweet-smelling, star-shaped flowers which adorn the bush during the blooming season.
The flowers make a beautiful, 2-week long appearance and may be tinged with pinks and purples. They are made all the more appealing to the eye when contrasted with the deep brown branches of the shrub.
The light green leaves in the plant give it its shape and its name. Since the leaves and the flowers are also fuzzy and hairy, deutzia is known as “fuzzy.” The sizes of various species of deutzia make it fit into the most compact and the largest of garden spaces.
It can grow from around only around 50 cms at its smallest to larger than 1.8 meters, sometimes even 3 meters, in height. For homeowners and gardeners operating in different capacities, the deutzia can be a plant easily grown in the given space.
If you are someone who would like the sunshine to bring out the visual appeal of your flowers, Deutzia may disappoint in that department. This is because the flowering period is only two weeks long.
You can extend this blooming period by planting deutzia with other perennials and bulbs. What makes deutzia well-suited to all ranges of weather is its tolerance of nearly all types of conditions.
Common Deutzia Varieties
The species of deutzia are very diverse and grow and transform in a series of different ways. The three types most commonly grown in gardens across the world are:
Deutzia Scabra (Fuzzy Deutzia)More commonly known as fuzzy deutzia, is the most common type of deutzia adorning many gardens across the globe. The plant has been around for hundreds of years with the much-beloved tiny white flowers. It has been used for decoration and even cooking. Since it is pet-safe and can thrive in mostly all environmental conditions, it is grown practically everywhere. You can even expect it to thrive in the winters, if you plant it then, because deutzia can grow just as well in shade. |  |
Deutzia Gracilis (Slender Deutzia)Deutzia Gracilis, or slender deutzia, is the better-looking version of fuzzy deutzia and is commonly used for ornamental purposes at weddings and for indoor décor. This type of deutzia is more delicate by far than the fuzzy kind since it can only tolerate shade for a limited amount of time. However, it is similar to the fuzzy deutzia in that it can thrive in a multitude of soil conditions, including alkaline soil. However, both types should never be exposed to waterlogging since that breeds disease and root rot. Deutzia gracilis is malleable in that it grows out according to how you wish because it has what is called a “tip root.” |  |
Deutzia Lemoinei (Lemoine Deutzia)This is also a form of widely-grown deutzia as a hybrid plant. It grows many more flowers than the regular deutzia and also stays in bloom for longer. This hybrid grows to 2 meters tall but can require specific environmental factors to grow. |  |
Deutzia Scabra (Fuzzy Deutzia)
More commonly known as fuzzy deutzia, is the most common type of deutzia adorning many gardens across the globe. The plant has been around for hundreds of years with the much-beloved tiny white flowers.
It has been used for decoration and even cooking. Since it is pet-safe and can thrive in mostly all environmental conditions, it is grown practically everywhere.
You can even expect it to thrive in the winters, if you plant it then, because deutzia can grow just as well in shade.
Deutzia Gracilis (Slender Deutzia)
Deutzia Gracilis, or slender deutzia, is the better-looking version of fuzzy deutzia and is commonly used for ornamental purposes at weddings and for indoor décor.
This type of deutzia is more delicate by far than the fuzzy kind since it can only tolerate shade for a limited amount of time. However, it is similar to the fuzzy deutzia in that it can thrive in a multitude of soil conditions, including alkaline soil.
However, both types should never be exposed to waterlogging since that breeds disease and root rot. Deutzia gracilis is malleable in that it grows out according to how you wish because it has what is called a “tip root.”
Deutzia Lemoinei (Lemoine Deutzia)
This is also a form of widely-grown deutzia as a hybrid plant. It grows many more flowers than the regular deutzia and also stays in bloom for longer. This hybrid grows to 2 meters tall but can require specific environmental factors to grow.
How to Grow Deutzia
Generally speaking, deutzia will thrive and flower in well-drained, moist soil containing the right nutrients. You can have peaty, humusy and grainy soils and have the plant grow just as well in all kinds.
The stems of deutzia undergo the most weathering and for that reason, you should look to prune the plant after the blooming season.
Soil, Sun and Spacing Requirements
Deutzia plants are perfect for warmer climates because they thrive when given high levels of sunshine for prolonged periods. They also don’t suffer if they are kept in shade for some periods of time, rendering them the perfect indoor garden preference as well.
In fact, some species of deutzia have been known to fully bloom in complete shade! For the shrub to grow to its full magnificence, humus loam soils are the recommended type in which the plant should be kept.
However deutzia can thrive equally well in other types of soil, and even in different levels of soil acidity. More importantly, you can add soil conditioners and organic plant food into the soil to assist with root and stem development and grow a strong, healthy plant.
Poorly-drained soils, especially if they are water-logged for prolonged periods, may irreversibly harm your plant. There is some effort involved in continually inspecting soil conditions to ensure your plant is getting no more and no less than what it needs.
Growing Deutzia from Seeds
Even if you are a beginner in the garden, there’s no way you can grow wrong with planting deutzia. You can plant it in sections in your garden and even have it grow in pots, from where you can transfer it to your garden.
The requirements are minimal- make sure the weather isn’t burning hot, or freezing cold. Choose any time with moderate climate to sow the seeds for your deutzia to grow.
The optimum time, especially in sunnier climates, is planting in early fall for a better bloom in the spring months.
Deutzia Propagation
The simplest method to propagate deutzia is to use cuttings from flexible sprigs taken from the plant. The best time to do this is at the end of summer, when the growth on the bark and branches has not hardened.
Make sure to use clean, sterilized garden instruments to obtain the cuttings, since contaminated gear can damage and disease your plant. Selecting the correct size of the stems is really important, in determining that you are picking out healthy and mature stems.
These are usually at least 6 inches long and may be even longer in larger species of deutzia. Next, remove all the growth and foliage from the bottom 2/3 of the plant, leaving some towards the top.
Plant the cuttings into a pre-prepared substrate or soil that you know beforehand works well for deutzia plants. You can add some organic plant food or a mixture of peat to this substrate.
Make sure the soil is moist and well-drained. You can water the propagated stems more liberally at first. The only environmental requirement that you must maintain, especially if you are propagating around winter time, is to keep the stems between 5°C or higher.
The next step in propagating deutzia plants is transplanting them and then best time is midsummer, around May, since the plant would have grown out significantly.
Repotting and transplanting deutzia ensures that it is allowed to grow to its full capacity before you plant it during the following fall in soil. The biggest advantage of either directly planting or propagating deutzia is that they aren’t very fussy plants to take care of.
With very basic gardening skills, you can have a flowering, vibrant deutzia shrub within a few months.
Deutzia Care Guide
Watering Deutzia
Water deutzia liberally in the first few years after planting, since dehydration and dry soil can also be reasons why your plant may suffer and wilt.
Natural levels of rainfall are often enough to satisfy the hydration needs of the deutzia plants. If you live in places with high levels of humidity, you should definitely consult experts on just how much they need to water their plants to balance with the rain.
Even better for growers of this plant, deutzia, when grown healthily once, can easily survive drought conditions. In colder climates, deutzia may drop to fall colors and not flower as frequently or vibrantly, but in warmer climates the plant is evergreen.
Pruning Deutzia
All plants can do with an annual trim of their foliage to prevent overgrowth and maintain equal distribution of nutrients across their parts. The best time to prune deutzia is right after the blooming season is beginning to end.
Make sure you prune only what’s necessary to prevent the plant from losing necessary parts of the stem and foliage. Never prune away or even trim branches containing flower buds, since they are what leads to the bloom the next year.
Always leave 2/3rds of stems and branches intact when you decide to prune away some parts of the plant for decoration purposes. (See our review on the best pruning shears here.)
Fertilizer
You shouldn’t use concentrated plant foods and many types of fertilizers on young deutzia plants, since they do have the potential of responding negatively to plant food.
The best course of action to provide an extra boost to your plant via fertilizer is to wait until it has bloomed for two or more seasons and taken root healthily.
Ask nearby nurseries and gardening experts to advise you on the best kinds of granular fertilizers. Among these, prefer ones that are known to be beneficial to different species of deutzia.
After pruning is the best time to give the plant some extra nutrition, since it helps the pruned away foliage grow back beautifully and vibrantly.
Deutzia Pests and Diseases to Watch For
Another advantage of the deutzia plants is that they are not susceptible to many diseases, nor are they prone to pests. It can, however, catch general diseases like leaf spot and attract the occasional pests like life miners, mealybugs, spider mites and aphids.
However, these plants are entirely deer resistant, making them very low maintenance in the pest department. For your plant to be generally healthy, make it a habit to check for pests and discolouration and other indications that your plant isn’t doing well.
This way, you can intervene and prevent a large degree of damage. To fix most afflictions that the Deutzia plant may suffer from, you should use clean gardening instruments to prune away the diseased area.
To do away with pests, use specially curated, diluted anti-pest spray and only use it on the area you’ve seen the pests frequent. Pet owners across the world can safely grow this plant, since there are no concerns, it brings when around children or pets.
The plant is entirely non-toxic, and since the flowers have a very light fragrance, it also may be safe for people with allergies.
Other Uses for Deutzia
The most common use for deutzia is as indoor décor and for ornamental purposes. The plant makes a pretty, sweet-smelling addition to pots, vases and containers atop tables and shelves.
For both indoor and outdoor premises, deutzia may make a good accompaniment to balconies, stairwells and patios. The best location for outdoor gardens when it comes to deutzia is as ground cover, mass planting and as part of low hedges.
Even better, vegans will find the Deutzia to be not just edible, but a delicious addition to many plant-based dishes. Deutzia shrubs also have medicinal properties and are used in many medical concoctions and recipes.
Wrapping Up Our Deutzia Growing Guide
We certainly hope this guide has instructed you on how best to grow deutzia shrubbery in your house and outside, how to best care for it and how to keep it happy and healthy!