Common Pearlbush also known as Exochorda Racemosa and Pearlbush is a native plant from China. This enchanting shrub gets its name from the lovely pearl shaped flower buds that grow on its branches. These buds open up into five petal white flowers that can be grown all over the world.

 

Zones – 4 – 8

 

Sun – Common Pearlbush needs 6 hours of full sunlight or partial sun a day. If you live in a sunny area the pearlbush will need 6 hours of morning sun followed by afternoon shade or partial shade.

 

Soil – Loamy well draining acidic soil high in organic matter works best for this

 

Spacing – These shrubs can grow as high as 10-15ft/3-4.5m heigh so they will need to be spaced 4-6ft/1.2-1.8m apart.

 

Water – Common Pearlbush likes to be moist but not wet. It should be deeply watered whenever the top layer of soil starts to look dry.

 

Food –  Fertilize Pearlbushes once a year in the spring after the last frost. If you are growing them in pots they will need to be water every 2-3 months with a water based or slow release fertilizer.

 

Annual or Perennial – Common Pearlbushes are deciduous perennials. Deciduous means their leaves fall off in the fall and grow back in the spring, however this could also happen if they get to dry.

 

Climate/Hardiness – They are cold hardy in temperatures of 5°F/-15°C

 

Harvest/Propagation – You can propagate softwood cutting from softwood cutting in the spring and summer.

Transplant – Once the propagated cuttings grow roots you can transplant them to where you want them to grow.

Tips – If your Common Pearlbush starts to lose its leaves in the spring and summer it either needs more watering or more fertilizer.

The best way to propagate Common Pearlbush is using the ground layering method. If you cannot ground layer you can also try air layering.