60. Pieris Propagation

Mature Variegated Pieris Japonica Cuttings

We have a fantastic Pieris Japonica in our front yard. So far, I have not been successful propagating it. Here is take three!

Mature Specimen

Here is what the mature Pieris looks like. There are two types of leaves growing from the same plant, fully green leaves and variegated leaves.

Here is a close up of the flowers — so pretty!

Propagation Strategy

My previous propagation attempts have involved smaller cuttings done either in Spring or Fall. This time I am trying bigger cuttings done in the winter; I am also using Dip’N Grow instead of the powdery rooting hormone. Photo timestamp February 29, 2024.

I had a few cuttings left over, so I added them to our miscellaneous bin. It is like the junk drawer of cuttings — we have some Lupine seeds, some Vinca cuttings, some Camellia cuttings, and now adding Pieris to the mix.

My next step is to check for roots in 6 to 12 weeks; that’s between April 11th and May 23rd .

2025 Update: they all failed except for one. I tried bin propagation in the fall (2024) with much better results.