Deutzia gracilis ‘Nikko’
Overview
Uses: Front of the border, groundcover, low edging, and mass plantings.
Benefits: A dwarf, low-spreading deutzia that covers itself in small white flowers in spring. It stays 1–2 feet tall, making a tidy groundcover or front-of-border shrub, and the leaves turn burgundy in fall. Deer resistant.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–8
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Mounding, Spreading — low and dense.
Bloom Color: White
Foliage Color: Green, turning Burgundy in fall
Mature Height: 1–2 feet
Mature Width: 3–5 feet
Bloom Season: Spring
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
A low sweep of white flowers in spring and burgundy leaves in fall, on a shrub that stays under two feet.
Nikko is a dwarf deutzia that grows much wider than it does tall. Its slender, arching stems build into a dense mound one to two feet high that spreads three to five feet across, so a few plants knit together into a woody groundcover for banks, bed edges, and the front of a border.
In mid to late spring, clusters of small, star-shaped white flowers open all along the stems and cover the plant for about two weeks. Through summer the fine green leaves keep it looking neat, and in fall they turn shades of burgundy before dropping.
It grows in full sun or partial shade and in most well-drained garden soils, and deer seldom bother it. That makes it a practical low planting in places where a taller shrub would block a view, a walkway, or a window.
Care
Nikko Deutzia Care
Plant in full sun to partial shade. Full sun brings the heaviest flowering and the best fall color; plants in partial shade still bloom, a little more lightly.
Nikko adapts to most garden soils as long as they drain well. It does not tolerate ground that stays waterlogged, so avoid low spots where water collects after rain.
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season while roots establish. Established plants need water only during extended dry spells. A layer of mulch between plants holds moisture and keeps weeds down while the planting fills in.
Feeding needs are light. One application of a slow release fertilizer in early spring is plenty.
Deutzia blooms on the previous year's growth, so do any trimming right after flowering. Most years, pruning is limited to cutting out stem tips damaged over winter. To refresh an older planting, remove a few of the oldest stems at the base after bloom.
Size
What Size is the Nikko Deutzia for Sale Online?
Our Nikko Deutzia ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants ship dormant or near dormant in the off-season, so they may arrive with few or no leaves. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Nikko Deutzia Grow?
Expect about 1 to 2 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide at maturity, in a low, spreading mound. Space plants about 3 feet apart to form a continuous groundcover.
Additional Information
Can Nikko Deutzia be used as a groundcover?
Yes. Planted about three feet apart, it fills in over a few seasons to form a continuous low cover of arching stems. It suits slopes, the edges of walks, and the front of foundation beds, though it is a woody shrub rather than a groundcover you can walk on. Browse more Groundcovers.
Why is it sometimes listed under a different botanical name?
Nikko has long been sold as a selection of slender deutzia, Deutzia gracilis. Some references now place it under Deutzia crenata var. nakaiana instead. You may see either name on nursery tags; both refer to this same low, white-flowered plant.
Do deer eat deutzia?
Deer seldom browse deutzia, which makes Nikko a good fit for unfenced beds near the street or the edge of the woods. See more Deer-Resistant Shrubs and Evergreens, or browse all Shrubs & Bushes.
