Deutzia scabra Plena

The Deutzia scabra 'Plena' is a variety of Deutzia with a large habit, appreciated for its rapid growth, ease of cultivation, and superb spring flowering. This bush is covered with small clusters of double flowers, initially pale pink, then fading to white. Its deciduous foliage, typically rough and downy, is a fairly dark green. Not demanding in terms of soil, perfectly hardy, it has a place in an English-style garden, a cottage garden, or simply a romantic and wild garden.

The Deutzia scabra is native to China and Japan, but also found in Pakistan. 'Plena', sometimes called 'Flore Pleno', is a horticultural cultivar dating back to 1863. This large-growing variety has an upright habit in its early years, which widens with age. Its flexible branches slightly arch at their tips. Its cinnamon-coloured bark flakes away when mature. Growing rapidly, it reaches an average height of 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in) and a width of 2 m (6 ft 7 in). The Deutzia scabra 'Plena' offers slightly fragrant flowering in June and July, with pendulous and double panicles of flowers. At blooming, the striped reverse of the petals gives the entire flower a pink hue. As the flower unfolds, the pure white interior of the petals appears, giving the flowers their white appearance. Its deciduous leaves are a fairly dark matte green, downy, and rough. It is this last characteristic that earned the species its Latin name "scabra", which means rough. The leaves, elongated oval in shape to lanceolate, measure 4 to 7 cm (1.6 to 2.8 in) in length and have serrated edges.

The Deutzia scabra Plena is perhaps the hardiest of all, but does not tolerate drought and shallow soils. It is necessary to protect its beautiful flowering from the scorching sun and strong winds. This very beautiful bush will find its place as a standalone specimen in a small garden or in a free, flowering, or mixed hedge, combined with other flowering shrubs with staggered flowering such as shrub roses, buddleias, lilacs, mock oranges, spireas, flowering apple trees, or other hawthorns. It also looks striking with evergreen foliage such as conifers, Elaeagnus ebbingei, Photinia, Mexican orange trees.