Exochorda racemosa Blushing Pearl

Exochorda racemosa 'Blushing Pearl' ('Huibl') is a new variety, splendid in spring. It is a large bushy shrub with an upright habit, whose branches are covered with round pearl-like, barely pink buds, which open into large pure white flowers. It requires little maintenance and is perfectly resistant to cold. Magnificent in a flowering hedge, as a standalone plant or in a large container on the terrace, its stems can also be cut and the buds will open in the house, as early as the end of winter.

Exochorda Blushing Pearl® is a deciduous shrub from the rose family, recently selected in the Netherlands. It is derived, among others, from the botanical species Exochorda racemosa, the pearl tree, native to Manchuria and Korea. Easy to grow, very hardy and unassuming, this plant will benefit from pruning after flowering to promote generous flowering the following spring. The 'Blushing Pearl' cultivar has an upright, slightly spreading habit, rather than trailing like the species. It will reach approximately 2m in height and 1m in width at around 10 years of age, sometimes a little more depending on growing conditions. This forms reddish young shoots. It bears elegant, elongated and lanceolate leaves, 4 to 6cm long and 1 to 2cm wide, a very fresh green, arranged in clusters. These deciduous leaves appear at the same time as the flowering and fall in autumn. The flowering takes place from April to May, all along the branches which are adorned with a multitude of white buds touched with a hint of pink, which open into flowers with a diameter of 3.5 to 4cm with 5 pure white petals.

Exochorda racemosa 'Blushing Pearl' is an excellent informal hedge shrub. It can also be planted as a specimen plant in a small garden or integrated into a shrub border. To decorate a large balcony or terrace, choose a container with a diameter of at least 50cm and with drainage holes at the bottom. In the garden, it can be paired with flowering currants, Japanese quinces, mock oranges, lilacs... To extend the flowering period of your hedge, also consider butterfly bushes or hibiscus. As a specimen plant, its base can be adorned with perennials and bulbs that bloom at the same time, such as ipheions or chionodoxas.