Deutzia Pink Carpet

The Deutzia x gracilis 'Million Stars® Pink Carpet' is a miniature shrub that captivates with its compact habit and its exceptionally generous flowering. It develops a dense, rounded clump, as tall as it is wide, composed of bright green foliage. From May onwards, numerous small star-shaped flowers, white and pink, open in tight clusters. These bright cut flower arrangements contrast wonderfully with the foliage they almost completely cover, giving the plant the appearance of a flowering ball. Grown in a pot, it makes a perfect specimen for beautifying a terrace or balcony. Easy to grow, this small shrub prefers moderate sun or partial shade, grows in most soils that are not too dry, and resists cold and diseases without any problem.

Once classified among Saxifragaceae, Deutzia is now placed in the Hydrangeaceae family, alongside hydrangeas, from which the botanical family name is derived. This family also includes the popular Mock Oranges (Philadelphus), or the lesser-known Jamesia americana, a pretty little rockery shrub. The genus Deutzia comprises around fifty species, originating mainly from East Asia, but also from Europe and Central America. Discovered in Japan in 1845, Deutzia gracilis forms a small shrub of about 70 cm, with an upright, bushy habit, bearing lanceolate leaves 3 to 7 cm long. Its pure white flowers, measuring 1.5 to 2 cm, appear in upright clusters 4 to 8 cm long. In the past, this species was forced in greenhouses to obtain early flowering, but today it is mainly cultivated in open ground, and it has given rise to many horticultural hybrids.
Among them, Deutzia gracilis 'Million Stars® Pink Carpet' stands out for its extreme compactness. This dwarf cultivar indeed rarely exceeds 60 cm in both height and width and forms a dense, bushy ball with slightly irregular outlines. It is suitable both in a flower bed, where it can play a groundcover role, and as a decorative pot plant thanks to its moderate growth and tolerance to pruning, which allows it to be shaped into a beautiful ball. Its fine, lanceolate foliage, delicately dentate, emerges in soft green tones before turning to a bright green. Between May and June, it becomes covered with clusters of fifteen to twenty small flowers, which corolla is almost white on the inside, while the reverse of the petals displays a beautiful soft pink. Each about 1.5 cm, their star-shaped form, with five pointed petals, gives the flowering a light and sparkling appearance. Gathered in cut flower arrangements approximately 5 cm in diameter, they conceal a good part of the vegetation.

Hardy and undemanding, the Deutzia 'Million Stars® Pink Cloud' thrives in almost all ordinary soils, provided they are not too dry. It is an ideal shrub for small gardens, patios, or terraces, where its charm works in a limited space. To vary and extend the flowering season in a small flower bed, it can be combined with other compact and equally easy-to-grow shrubs. Very early in the season, the Forsythia 'Mikador', explodes into a golden spray one metre high that illuminates the garden. The Abelia 'Pastel Charm' will take over from your Deutzia from July and throughout the summer with its charming pale yellow and pink bell-shaped flowers. A crape myrtle from the "With Love" series such as the Lagerstroemia indica 'Virgin With Love' with pure white flowers will also enchant your summer.