You are right, but the question still remains will the plant respond well to shaping.

The bed in question has Azaleas and acidic soil, so this plant would probably like the soil conditions.

Shaping, yes. The pruning you would need to do to squeeze into that spot, no. There IS a difference.

I had some pieris in front of my house when I bought it - they were lovely vigourous shrubs but way too close to the house and way too big. I did whack them back a few times in the 25 years I had them, and they responded well growth-wise (in other words, whacking them back didn't hurt them a bit), but I wasn't trying to really shape them so I can't answer from that aspect.

I believe there are at least a couple of smaller pieris available, that are about 2 feet or so. Maybe you could look into one of them and both you and your shrub would be happier!

:)

Dee

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) That's a fair distinction.

@diggerdee zone 6 CT Smaller Pieris might be an option, but I do love the red leaf on the new growth for the varieties I selected.

Most pieris cultivars have red to coral colored new growth in spring. Flaming Silver is smaller and may fit the situation better. Or Little Heath.

The heart wants what the heart wants. :) I get it! That's why I have a magnolia tree sitting in a pot on my patio. I finally bought one last fall without having a spot in mind for it because I just wanted it! :) (and now I'm eyeing it with some trepidation because it's growing like crazy already!)

That being said, I have had it to the eyeballs with whacking back shrubs lol. My house was built in the 50's and I think all the plantings are original to then, when men were men and shrubs were huge haha. And when shrubs were planted two feet away from the foundation, in front of the house no matter how big they got! So for someone like me, I would try to compromise and find something smaller for this spot of yours.

However, if you are willing to put in the time and effort to keep a big shrub that small, then perhaps you should really try what you want.

I have very little personal experience with most pieris (only the monsters in my front yard lol, and the thought in the back of my mind for the last ten years that I need to add more!) but they seem pretty sturdy plants and I don't think you can really hurt a pieris by such cutting back. But then again, they seem so vigourous that it seems like a fairly constant job to keep it in check, and I don't know enough about them to tell if that would be detrimental. My gut feeling is no, it'll be okay (and I could be dead wrong) but will it *thrive*? I don't know... Could be the newer cultivars are slower-growing than my wild 50's specimens.

A few other suggestions, just in case... from its description Katsura sounds *slightly* smaller than Mountain Fire. Not sure if you would like this one or if the size difference is enough to make it worthwhile. Red Mill seems like another *slightly* smaller red.

Some that don't seem quite so red but still have red are Flaming Silver and Bisbee Dwarf. Maybe Little Heath but that seems really more pinkish.... Interstella's foliage doesn't seem quite as red but has nice-looking red flowers...

Good luck with your decision!

:)

Dee

@diggerdee zone 6 CT I have read several places that Pieris makes a poor plant to put near a foundation. I guess if I do this I will have an ongoing bonsai project.

It's hard to find the right showcase plant that is a) available at all; b) available in the right size. Everything I buy is either too small and takes 10 years to grow to the right size or too large and will require heavy maintenance quickly.

I found a few videos on turning Pieris into a tree. If I could get the canopy up off the ground, it would become very appropriate to the area I want to plant it.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ubKkqm6h40g

It takes a long time for that to happen. Are you still planning on selling your place in the not too distant future? If so, you will need to start with a large, already mature specimen.

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) All good points. I want to see what I can do to shape it first, and it's 50/50 for whether I will keep it there.

"...@diggerdee zone 6 CT I have read several places that Pieris makes a poor plant to put near a foundation. I guess if I do this I will have an ongoing bonsai project..."

Actually that kind of surprises me. I wonder why they say that is so. I see them used fairly often this way and now that I've (finally!) ripped out my giant shrubs and need to re-do the foundation beds, I had planned on incorporating a suitably-sized pieris.

"...It's hard to find the right showcase plant that is a) available at all; b) available in the right size. Everything I buy is either too small and takes 10 years to grow to the right size or too large and will require heavy maintenance quickly..."

TEll me about it! I tend to overthink a lot of stuff, and do probably way too much research. Then I find what I want - and I can't find the darn thing anywhere in the country lol! Nothing worse than reading about a great shrub or plant and then not being able to buy one. As far as size, most of my garden is too small and takes forever. The other option is a plant that is big... and expensive, and I can't afford it. Guess it's a good thing I am fairly patient!

By the way, I have seen many pieris trained into small tree form and they are quite lovely, imo. Gives the plant and the bed a whole different vibe and of course there's always more room underneath to add something else!

:)

Dee