Kerria Japonica is a straggly plant that grows bright yellow pompoms as it flowers. The plant is also known as the double Japanese rose. We inherited the plant when we moved into the house. Every year it provides an abundance of the bright yellow, almost tangerine pompom flowers. Despite the bright colour it is an untidy plant. The long green stalks grow up to six feet in length. They branch off at an angle in a haphazard way. Branches cross in front of each other and get tangled together One of the comforts I take from my plant is that the plants at RHS Hyde Hall are just as untidy looking as mine are!
When you select this plant you must select it for the bright yellow pompoms and ignore the untidiness. From a distance the green and yellow of the plant and the dark brown fence go well together.
The RHS website says that “Kerria are deciduous shrubs with green young shoots bearing simple, toothed leaves and rose-like, solitary 5-petalled flowers in mid-spring”. There is also more information on this site about the plant. Previously, I have taken close ups of the pompoms. However to do that you need a day when the wind is not blowing like it is today!
Have a look at more of the garden images on our website