A vigorous shrub of erect habit up to 8 ft or perhaps more high; young shoots slightly rough with scurfy stellate hairs at first, becoming brown and shining. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, rounded or broadly tapered at the base, slenderly pointed, sharply toothed, 2 to 51⁄2 in. long, 5⁄8 to 2 in. wide, dark dull green and rough with stellate hairs above, grey and covered with a close felt of starry down beneath; also with simple hairs at the sides of the midrib and veins; stalk 1⁄6 to 1⁄2 in. long. Flowers white, 1 in. across, in broad corymbose panicles up to 3 in. long. Petals ovate with the edges upturned; wings of stamens dilating upwards to about midway, then narrowing, awl-like, to the anthers. Calyx-lobes linear-lanceolate, reflexed, covered like the flower-stalk with grey scurf, persistent. Fruits hemispherical, 3⁄16 in. across.
Native of Szechwan, China; sent to Maurice de Vilmorin at Les Barres by the Abbé Farges in 1897; introduced to England in 1905. It is a rapid grower, and its fine flowers escape damage by late frosts better than those of most deutzias do, and usually make a good display. It was named after the late Madame de Vilmorin of Les Barres. Allied to D. discolor.