NATIVE RANGE: East Asia (China, Japan)

FIRST FINDING IN SLOVENIA: 1990

PATHWAYS: horticulture

POSSIBLE TO FIND: yearround

FLOWERING SEASON: May – July

DESCRIPTION: A deciduous shrub with arching branches and a rounded crown. Bark on young branches red-brown to green, scabrous, on older branches brown and scaly. Leaves are opposite, simple, oval to ovate-lanceolate, with a slightly acuminate apex, leaf-margins are crenate with tiny coarse spines. Leaves are light green, pubescent on both sides, feeling rough. The white to light pink, clustered flowers have five petals (more in “double-flowered” cultivars) and measure 1 cm across. Fruits are dry brown capsules which persist on branches until spring.

HABITAT: Within native range grows along forest edges and in clearings. Often naturalised on rocky soils along streams.

STATUS: Often planted in parks, gardens and hedgerows. Locally naturalised in West and Central Europe and can be invasive.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Slender deutzia (D. gracilis) is very similar but lower and its leaves do not feel rough. European mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius) has larger flowers which have only four petals (may be double in some cultivars). Leaves are prominently acuminate.

SOURCE: Field Guide to Invasive Alien Species in European Forests