| General Description | A medium sized shrub with dark green evergreen foliage. Clusters of pink flowers contrast against the foliage during spring. |
| ID Characteristic | An upright spreading shrub. Leaves are whorled, smooth and oval shaped. The bark is smooth and can range from chocolate-brown to grey. |
| Shape | A vigorous spreading plant, becoming an upright shrub over time. |
| Landscape | An excellent addition to winter landscapes, woodland margins, foundation plantings, shade gardens, mixed borders, mass planting, and shrub borders. |
| Propagation | Grafting and layering, take short cuttings of mature new growth. Place in well drained moist soil, keep in high humidity and indirect light. |
| Cultivation | Best grown in well drained acidic soil with the pH range of 4-6 and partial sun; mulch will assist greatly in retaining moisture so roots will not dry out. |
| Pests | Susceptible to many pests such as aphids, caterpillars, nematodes, scale, lace bugs, mealy bugs, borers, and white fly. Diseases include crown rot, leaf gall, rust, powdery mildew, blights, root rot, and leaf spot. Resistant to deer and rabbits. |
| Habitat | Horticultural origin. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Smooth bark that starts out chocolate-brown during new growth gradually turning grey as it matures. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Flower buds are large, glabrous green and underlined by white, pink, and light red. Cold winters may cause freezing and damage the buds, potentially reducing flower production. |
| Leaf Description | Dark green, medium sized oval shaped leaves. This dense spreading foliage maintains the same dark green colour year round. |
| Flower Description | 1-4 per cluster, flowers bloom in April-May in white, pink, and light red. |
| Colour Description | Foliage dark green, brownish-grey bark with white, pink and pale red flowers. |
| Texture Description | A medium-coarse textured plant. |
