An elegant arching Pieris relative, this elaborately variegated cultivar originated at the famed British nursery, Hillier's as a chance seedling, while the species, first introduced in 1793, hails from the southeastern U.S. Living up to its name, 'Rainbow' celebrates a carousel of color: pinkish copper-hued new growth, rosy red stems and long leathery pointed evergreen leaves, which are irregularly streaked, speckled and mottled in green, cream and ivory. Bell-style crisp white flowers held by drooping clusters, blue berries and plum-colored wintertime foliage are the icing on the cake. Appreciative of regular watering and well-drained organic-rich acidic soil, the deer resistant Fetterbush makes a stunning focal point or mass planting, embellishing mixed borders, house foundations, hedges and even cut arrangements.

Blooms April – May

Size: 3' 0" – 4' 0" high x 4' 0" – 6' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

Showcasing new green foliage dappled with porcelain and rose hues, this recently introduced variegated cultivar presents a tailored, more close-knit version of the long cherished Leucothoe ‘Rainbow’. Lovely pendent, clustered white bells adorn a lush, multi-stemmed habit of lance-shaped, glossy evergreen leaves heightened by rich rubescent late season hues amid gracefully arching burgundy-stems. Prized by pollinators and floral designers alike, undemanding ‘Rainbow Improved’ ignores deer and most pests, enjoys enriched, slightly acidic moist soil and promotes daring prismatic allure in mixed borders, foundation plantings, cottage gardens and urban settings, either massed, hedged or as a specimen.

Hardy to zone 0.