Pieris japonica subsp. japonica var. japonica ("Asebi")

Japanese name: アセビ （馬酔木）
Scientific name: Pieris japonica subsp. japonica var. japonica

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub 2–4 m tall, found in bright mountain woodlands such as red pine forests.
It branches freely.
Young branches are densely hairy.
Leaves are simple and alternate, oblong, 3–9 cm long and 0.8–3 cm wide, with a sharply pointed tip.
The upper surface of the leaf is glossy, and the margin has fine serrations.
Drooping panicles at the branch tips bear many white, urn-shaped flowers 6–7 mm long.
The tip of the corolla is shallowly 5-lobed.
The fruit is a capsule 5–6 mm across; when ripe it faces upward and splits into 5 parts, scattering the seeds.

[Uses]
It is a poisonous plant, and in the past powdered leaves or a decoction of them were used as an insecticide and to get rid of skin parasites on animals.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings, layering, or division.
It is easy to grow.
It prefers sun to partial shade and soil that is well drained, moisture-retentive and rich in humus.
If the site is too shady, it flowers poorly.
Avoid places that are too dry.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless the summer is extremely dry.
Apply slow-release fertilizer in early spring before the new shoots grow.
Prune as soon as possible after flowering.
Pests and diseases include lace bugs and leaf rollers.

[Notes]
The leaves and other parts contain the toxic compound asebotoxin, and the kanji 馬酔木 (literally "horse-intoxicating tree") derive from this toxicity, but horses normally do not eat the leaves.

View this page in Japanese (日本語)