Also known as the Japanese rose, Kerria Japonica it is a cottage-garden regular that grows dependably almost anywhere. The flowers are a distinctive single or double yellow flowers in April and May. The arching stems are thin and the leaves serrated.

Varieties

• The modern AGM plant, Kerria japonica ‘Golden Guinea’, has very large, single flowers up to 2.5in across and bright green, attractively veined leaves.

• Gardeners who are not sure about yellow may actually prefer the single form, Kerria ‘Simplex’, AGM.

• A silver variegated form Kerria japonica ‘Picta’ has single flowers 1.25 – 2in across and it grows 5ft in height with creamy white margins on grey-green leaves. This is a low, spreading cultivar

• Kerria japonica ‘Pleniflora’  syn. ‘Flore Plena’ is a vigorous, upright form with double flowers. It grows to 10ft in height and has an AGM.

Cultivation

• Kerria grows in fertile, well-drained soil preferring full sun for the best flowers or partial shade.
• Prune by removing several older flowering shoots at the base of the plant each year after flowering to make room for new shoots and keep the shrub under control. If left it can become straggly.
• Propagation by taking greenwood cuttings in summer or layer stems
• Plants can be divided in Autumn.
• The strong yellows belend well with the forsythia below but also contrast with strong purple colours in late spring.