There are lots of different clones on sale under the name ’P. J. Mezitt’, all slightly differing in the size of the flowers and the spotted pattern on the upper petal. This is because the American nurseryman who did the original crossing put several different seedlings on the market before getting around to naming some of the best. There is really only one “true” clone of ‘P. J. Mezitt’, but because nobody really knows what is on sale, they are all now called by the general name PJM or PJM Group. Other named clones include ‘PJM Elite’, ‘PJM Regal’ and ‘PJM Victor’.
’P. J. Mezitt’ blooms light purple in early spring, at Mustila in mid-May. In full sun the flowers can cover the whole shrub. However, the opening buds may be damaged by spring night frosts if the shrub has started growing too soon.
In autumn some of the leaves take on good colour and then fall. Others remain on the branch tips, changing to mahogany brown with the first frosts, but in spring they turn green again, despite having looked dead through the winter.
'P. J. Mezitt' grows into a dense round shrub reaching about 1 metre in ten years.
