Deutzia Tourbillon Rouge

The Deutzia 'Red Whirlwind' is an old hybrid selected by Lemoine and sons in the 1930s. It is rediscovered today for its beautiful early summer flowering, which is not red but rather a purplish pink. Its panicles, of a good size for the genus, are composed of a multitude of small star-shaped flowers speckled with violet-pink, with a purple reverse. This deciduous all-terrain bush forms a medium-sized, fairly vigorous bush, particularly undemanding in terms of soil type and climate, but also very resistant to diseases and pests. With all these qualities, it is one of the best hedge shrubs that can be offered to the garden.

The hybrid Deutzia 'Red Whirlwind' was obtained through successive crosses of Deutzia magnifica, D. longifolia var. vilmorinae, and D. scabra. These species, belonging to the saxifrage family, are native to China and Japan. 'Red Whirlwind' is a rather erect shrub, taking on a more arched habit if left unpruned. It will reach a maximum height of 1.75 m (5 ft 8 in), rarely 2 m (6 ft 7 in), and a spread of 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in), with a rather fast growth rate. Flowering, abundant, generally takes place from the end of June until July. Its star-shaped flowers, grouped in large panicles, are remarkable for their bicolor and bright appearance. They are often fragrant and attract pollinating insects. Its deciduous foliage, light green and particularly healthy, is composed of long, opposite leaves measuring up to 12 cm (4.7 in) long, strongly veined. They turn yellow in autumn. The wood of this shrub is hollow. Like mock oranges (Philadelphus), Deutzia produce long straight stems resembling canes. This variety proves relatively drought-resistant.

Perfectly hardy and somewhat out of fashion, survivors of old gardens, Deutzias, like lilacs and old-fashioned roses, are among those almost indestructible shrubs that require little effort but provide a lot of satisfaction to the gardener. They are planted and then forgotten, until the moment when their flowering betrays their anonymity in an overgrown thicket. In the garden, the 'Red Whirlwind' Deutzia stands out while other spring shrubs have already finished flowering. It can be used as a free hedge, mixed with other flowering shrubs such as beautybush, abelias, mock oranges, brooms, or gorse. Its limited growth also allows it to fit into small gardens.

The Deutzia will be at its peak flowering in a limestone soil, rich in humus, and moist. It should be pruned after flowering.