Bachelor’s Buttons

Bachelor's Buttons (Kerria japonica) flowers where most flowering shrubs will not: part shade, ordinary soil, no fuss. It builds a clump of arching green canes about 2m tall and 2m wide, then lines them with clear yellow button flowers through spring and into early summer. Even out of bloom the bright green stems hold their colour through winter, which is rare in a deciduous shrub.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers in shade. Part shade and dappled light suit it, so it brings colour to the side of a house or under a canopy where roses and most flowering shrubs sulk.
• A long flowering run. A heavy display through spring with repeat flushes into early summer, rather than one short burst.
• Green stems through winter. The canes stay bright green after the leaves drop, so the bare shrub still reads as deliberate in July.
• Fast and forgiving. Fast growing, frost hardy, wind tolerant and content in poor soil, with open flowers that bees and butterflies work.

Where it works best

Mass planting and shrub borders. Plant 1m apart. The arching canes overlap into a continuous informal band about 2m high within two seasons, which suits a boundary or a bank far better than a clipped hedge.

Shaded beds and cottage borders. Use it in the middle or back of a bed with hydrangeas, camellias and azaleas, all of which want similar conditions.

Feature planting in a small garden. One plant against a fence or a dark wall makes the yellow carry. Allow 2m of width, because it will not stay narrow.

Growing Bachelor's Buttons in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade is ideal, especially protection from hot afternoon sun which bleaches the flowers and scorches leaf edges. Full sun works in cool temperate gardens with reliable moisture. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean climates and is frost hardy, but not the humid tropics or wet subtropics.

Soil. Ordinary garden soil that drains is enough, and it tolerates poor ground better than most flowering shrubs. Work compost through the bed and mulch 75mm deep over the shallow roots.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then weekly through hot dry spells. It is not drought tolerant: a long dry summer without water costs you leaves and next season's flowers. One complete fertiliser in early spring is enough.

Pruning. It flowers on wood grown the previous year, so prune straight after flowering, never in winter. Cut the oldest third of the canes out at ground level each year, and remove unwanted suckers while they are soft.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in a single size, tube stock, currently listed on backorder so it ships with the next crop. Each plant arrives roughly 15 to 25cm tall with one or two thin canes. If it arrives over winter it will be leafless, which is normal for a deciduous shrub.

Being fast growing it makes up ground quickly: expect a metre of clump by the end of the first full season and useful flowering in its second spring. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the wider deciduous shrub range.
• Find companions among our plants for partial shade.
• Compare it against other flowering plants and shrubs.
• Read our simple pruning guide for beginners.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

One metre apart for a massed shrub border. Each clump reaches about 2m across, so 1m spacing lets the canes weave together without crowding the bases.

Will it grow in full shade?

Part shade or dappled light, yes. Deep shade under a dense evergreen canopy keeps the plant alive but flowering drops away sharply.

When should I prune it?

Straight after flowering finishes in early summer, because the buds for next season form on this year's growth. Pruning in winter removes the coming display.