In my opinion be prepared to baby them. They have gave me fits also. I have only got one spot in my yard that I have found them to thrive in with mostly morning sun. Also they are very picky about their ph levels. So make sure you get it right and due some research before buying them. Daytonnursery.com has many varities to show you. It is a local nursery for me and they have tons and there are very tempting but have learned to resist them and be happy with the one I have got to live now for going on 5 years behind my garage out of direct sunlight. Good luck!

Brouwer's Beauty may be somewhat more resistant to lacebug than other pieris, but it sure isn't immune. If you have a large lacebug population, it will suffer. If you are determined to have pieris, BioNeem spray is a good, low environmental impact lacebug control. Bayer Advanced Azalea and Rhododendon is a systemic which is poured around the roots and is also very effective.

I think Browers Beauty is the only hybrid between japonica and floribunda.

Groan. This is very useful info and I thank you for it but not what I was hoping for. Deer eat absolutely every evergreen shrub--and many deciduous--so I was counting on Pieris. Can't find floribunda anywhere and the lacebug is such a problem for me.

I don't know what to do....this is right in front of my house and I really need to fill in where I removed eight inkberries.

I'm afraid I will have to agree with hydrangeasnohio. I planted two almost 4 years ago, moved them once to even more shade and winter wind protection, had soil tested at new location, yet they are still just limping along. I'm pretty sure this year will find them sitting on the curb come trash day. =(

I have Pieris 'Mountain Fire'. I had one in sun, it did not survive.

I moved the other to the north face of my house, it's been there going on three years now, but hasn't grown much. I do baby it, it gets winter protection with a plant cover, and doesn't seem to like much watering. No direct sunlight whatsoever, but it looks very healthy and gets new reddish growth each year, though not much. I haven't had any pest problems.

I suspect that as it grows larger, and the less I will be able to winter protect it, it will likely meet its demise. Too bad, I like these.

I've read that 'Forest Flame' is hardier than mine. Going back, I'd have gotten that one instead, but my knowledge of Pieris is very limited.

The truth is deer will eat anything (except maybe cactus)if they are hungry enough. There are lots of sources of information on the net about plants other than pieris that deer will leave alone if other food is available.

As for the lacebug issue, two years of spraying or other control can reduce the population significantly. Complete eradication is probably not possible, but the problem can be made manageable.

Mainegrower, I'm sorry I have to disagree with you. Deer don't eat absolutely everything--pachysandra seems safe, for instance. I have a patch I stuck in the woods years ago til I could move it--never did and the deer herd that lives there has never touched it or the pachysandra in my landscape.

As for online sources, or books and magazines, I have read about too many plants recommended as deer-proof and they are not. I do trust info from real gardeners, such as many of the folks here, who have the same deer problem I do.

Ginny, were the lacebug pieris japonica in sun? That could have been the problem. It doesn't mean all P. japonica will get lacebug. Is the target spot in sun?

When I moved here 18 yrs ago, there was a builders special P. japonica in full sun as a foundation plant. It really struggled. Even Isotox (that was many years ago!) only helped temporarily. I moved it to the shade at the edge of the woods, cut it back a lot (it was totally leggy), and babied it for a few years. It is now wonderful and full and huge. I don't always get blossoms above the snow line due to bud hardiness, but that's okay. Its solid green and fills the bill nicely.

I'm a sucker for the new spring growth on pieris. I have several cultivars around my property.

P. floribunda is a great plant. I didn't know it was that hard to find. Kennedy and Co in Acton might be worth a shot locally. They seem to usually have whatever I am looking for.

As far as deer go, I only have intermittent minor deer nibbling around here. Last winter they got at lots of stuff, but ignored the Pieris.

ginny, for some reason can't send you an email via your MyPage???

If you can send me an email, I can tell you where you might find one.

never mind... I misread something.