I'm sorry no one has been able to answer you. I've no experience--I have planted pieris, but it always has died. If you haven't tried the OSU extension site, do. I think they would be the most reliable for how it will do in Ohio. Dave's Garden is another, with gardeners reporting their own experiences with a plant.

Amelanchier (serviceberry) are definitely susceptible to verticillium wilt. I have not personally witnessed much of the acute symptoms on them (like on a sugar or japanese maple) where a whole limb or even whole tree dies suddenly. But I have seen on several varieties, including Autumn Brilliance, what I think is the more chronic symptom with yellowing and some marginal necrosis. I am not suggesting that you shouldn't plant a serviceberry, but there is a small chance that you could experience a bit of a problem with one. I have an area in my yard where I lost 1 japanese maple (Beni Otake), and another (Sango Kaku) has suffered dieback from verticillium, but a Robin Hill serviceberry is thriving, as are several other hosts like redbud. I have never witnessed verticillium on Pieris, nor noticed it in any susceptible lists.

Oh well. It was worth a try. Bump! Connie

Hi Michele You probably have spell check on your computer. Some programs permit spell check of on-line writable text, others are only for off line composition, files and email, for example. In the case of the word "hearty", which is correctly spelled, spell check would not have picked that up, since it does not check syntax. I have spell check, Webster's Unabridged Dictionary and a Thesarus on my tool bar and all are useless, when dealing with Technical language and Latinized plant names. GW is a forum for learning about PLANTS(at least the ones I read are) and as long as someone understands what you intend to convey, who cares about words and spelling. As long as profanity is avoided, you are welcome here! The use of profanity will energize the iVillage gendarmes, that will permanently banish you. Learn to enjoy (or at least tolerate), the sub-freezing temperatures, because somewhere in your garden there are plants that really need that for longterm survival. Rejoice with them! Rb