Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda)

Pieris japonica (Thunb.) D. Don ex G. Don

Japanese andromeda, lily-of-the-valley bush

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Ericales	Tea, persimmon, blueberry, Brazil nut, azalea, many others
Family	Ericaceae	Heath or heather family
Genus	Pieris	Andromeda or fetterbush
Species	japonica	Of or belonging to Japan, Japanese

About plant names...

Japanese andromeda is native to China, Taiwan, and Japan. It is not found in the wild in North America, though it and its many cultivars are popular in gardens.

Plants: An evergreen shrub or small tree 3-13' (1-4 m) in size, usually less than 6½' (2 m). Twigs are hairless, and easily broken.

Leaves: Alternate, unlobed (simple), shiny, dark green, leathery leaves. The leaves have fine serrations, and are oblanceolate to obovate-oblong. Young leaves are orange-bronze.

Flowers: Flowers are abundant, forming drooping clusters up to 6" (15 cm) around. Individual flowers are white, about ¼" (6.3 mm) long, and resemble small inverted urns. They look very similar to blueberry flowers, to which they are loosely related. The tip of each flower has 5 small lobes that spread outward. (Cultivated varieties are available in shades of pink as well as white.) Flowers appear from March to April.

Fruits: Brown capsules with five valves are visible year-round. Each capsule is oval in shape, and about ⅛" (3.2 mm) long.

Edibility: Poisonous Skull & Crossbones Leaves and flower nectar contain andromedotoxin, which can cause death to people or animals. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythms, and headache.