USDA Zones: 5 - 9
Light: partial - full shade
Form: Upright/Vase-shaped
Height: 6 feet
Width: 6 feet
Flower Colors: yellow
Bloom Time: early - late spring

Special Features:
Deer Resistant
Fast Growing
Flowers
Foundation Plantings
Showy Flowers
Winter Interest
Woodland

Ideal for shady areas, kerria is a tough, carefree plant that produces abundant, beautiful yellow flowers in spring.

Its slightly arching stems stay bright green year-round, providing winter interest. The triangular, serrated leaves are also light green, even in fall. Cultivars with variegated leaves are the most widely grown.

Single-flowering and double-flowering varieties are available -- the popular double forms are densely-petaled and in globular form. Slow to establish but then quick-growing, kerria is generally 4 to 6 feet at maturity.

Notable Varieties

• 'Golden Guinea' has single, 2-inch-wide flowers.
• 'Plenifora' is a showy double-flowered variety.
• 'Picta' is less vigorous and has gray-green leaves with creamy white margins' remove shoots that revert to green.

Care
Prune immediately after flowering to avoid interfering with next years' bloom. Remove dead shoots. On variegated cultivars, remove any shoots with all-green leaves. Avoid overfertilizing, which decreases flowering. Periodically, cut plant to the ground to renew.

Planting
Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped plants in part to full shade in average, moist, well-drained soil. You can also propagate by dividing suckers in spring or fall, or by rooting cuttings in summer or fall.