Deutzia crenata Pride of Rochester

Deutzia crenata 'Pride of Rochester' is an old cultivar still admired for its vigour and double white flowering. It is a vigorous deciduous bush with an upright but flexible habit, adorned in spring with pink buds opening into white pompoms. It also attracts attention with its autumn colour. Robust and undemanding, highly decorative, it will integrate perfectly into an informal hedge or a romantic garden with botanical or English roses.

The Deutzia crenata 'Pride of Rochester' is an old horticultural creation that has received a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit for its ornamental qualities and performance in the garden. The botanical species, Deutzia scabra, is a beautiful bush native to China and Japan, but also present in Pakistan. In nature, it is found in sunny places such as road embankments, cliffs, forest edges, and riverbanks. All Deutzia belong to the hydrangea family.

The Deutzia crenata 'Pride of Rochester' has an erect habit that spreads with age. It reaches a height of up to 3m (9 to 10ft) and a spread of 2m (6 to 7ft), and has rapid growth. The lance-shaped leaves are dark green on the upper side and light green underneath. This Deutzia offers pinkish flowering, when the flowers open, turning to white pink once the flowers have bloomed. They appear in late spring during the months of May and June. These double bell-shaped flowers, grouped in drooping clusters, will add a remarkable and noticeable floral touch to the garden.

The Deutzia Pride of Rochester is one of the hardiest of all, but it dislikes drought and shallow soils. It tolerates limestone very well. Protect its beautiful flowering from scorching sun and strong winds. This beautiful bush will find its place either in isolation in a small garden or in an informal, flowering, or mixed hedge, associated with other flowering shrubs, Van Houtte spring spirea, wild roses, shrub roses, buddleias, Kolkwitzias, lilacs, flowering apple trees, or other hawthorns. It also forms beautiful associations with evergreen foliage such as Elaeagnus ebbingei, Photinias, Mexican orange, etc.