Culture
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best flowering in full sun. Wide range of soil tolerance. Prefers moist, rich, humusy soils, but established shrubs have some tolerance for drought. Annual pruning of dead branches in late winter to early spring is usually necessary. Additional renewal pruning may be done immediately after flowering.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Deutzia setchuenensis, commonly called deutzia, is a bushy, multi-stemmed, upright-rounded, deciduous shrub that typically grows to 5-6’ tall and as wide. It is native to forests, thickets and mountain slopes in south central to south eastern China. Showy, star-like, 5-petaled, white flowers (each to 1” across) bloom in late spring to early summer (May-June) in branched corymbose clusters (6-50 flowers each). Flowers are followed by ornamentally insignificant, dry, brown seed capsules which ripen in summer (July-August). Simple, opposite, ovate, green to gray-green leaves (to 3" long) have slightly serrated margins. Leaves produce no appreciable fall color. Bark peels on mature branches.
Var. corymbiflora is similar to the species but is noted for having larger flowers in larger flower clusters plus slightly broader leaves. Primarily because of superior flowering, var. corymbiflora is regularly sold in commerce whereas the species is rarely sold. Varietal name of corymbiflora means flowers in corymbs.
Genus name honors Johan van der Deutz (1743-1788), amateur botanist from Amsterdam.
Specific epithet means from Sichuan Province in China in reference to native habitat.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
Shrub borders, foundations, woodland margins or open woodland areas. Informal hedge. Slopes. Notwithstanding its showy bloom of late spring flowers, this shrub is otherwise rather unexceptional in ornamental appearance throughout the growing season.