Learn to Love … Winter Floral Fragrance
- lesannsa
- Jan 11, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: Apr 27, 2023
Last blog, I wrote about plants that have striking and dynamic fall foliage colours. Today, let’s turn our attention to another group of plants that have a key role in developing a four season garden - the winter flowering shrubs.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
So, it’s winter, and yes, it’s tempting to stay inside and look through those seed catalogues one more time. But go on, open the door, and take a peek outside. The landscape is stark. The sky's overcast. The chill starts to seep into the door, time to go back inside. But wait, what is that glorious scent? Where is it coming from? Pull on your winter garb, step outside. Follow the threads of that floral fragrance, deeper and deeper into the garden. And yes, there! Tucked into the corner of the garden. In all its zany zig zag glory, the source of this lovely scent – the delicate flowers of Hamamelis mollis ‘Goldcrest’. Step closer. Delight in the spidery bright yellow pom-pom flowers that adorn the tip of the branches. Take a delicate sniff of the flowers. Bliss. It’s good to be outside.
Why add a winter flowering shrub to your garden? These plants can (1) add colour when not much is flowering, (2) add another dimension to the garden with their floral fragrance, and (3) play a vital role in providing nutrients to early pollinators during winter and spring. Many of these plants rely on their strong fragrance to attract insects. You can hide one of these shrubs deep into the garden, or tuck them front and centre near commonly used pathways and entryways. Even closer yet, pop one into a container by your door. Here are three exceptional winter shrubs. Add one to your garden and enjoy! There are many other wonderful fragrant shrubs (listed at the bottom of the blog) and if you plan carefully, you can have a sequence of blooms that perfume the garden from winter to summer and beyond. For example, Hamamelis spp. (Dec-Jan), Daphne odora (Jan-Feb), Edgeworthia chrysantha (Feb-April).
Hamamelis spp. (Witch Hazels)
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
There are four primary species of witch hazel; (1) Chinese Witch Hazel (Hamamelis mollis), (2) Japanese Witch Hazel (Hamamelis japonica), (3) Vernal Witch Hazel (Hamamelis vernalis), and (4) Common Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). Two of these (Hamamelis vernalis and Hamamelis virginiana) are native to North America. There are also many new hybrids (crosses between the species) named H x intermedia.
The Flowers. Witch hazels start blooming in December -January. Clusters of spidery flowers, that resemble paper pom-poms, will appear at the end of leafless branches. These wispy flowers vary in colour, depending on the variety, from butter yellow, yellow-orange, vibrant orange, to red-purple. Insects pollinate the flowers in winter; but the seeds do not form till summer time.
Different witch hazel flower colours. H x intermedia 'Arnolds Promise'; H vernalis 'Kohankie Red'; H x intermedia 'Aphrodite'. Photos from Gardenia.net
The Fragrance. Beware, not all witch hazels have a pleasing fragrance. Some have strong, sweet floral fragrances. H mollis is considered to be the most fragrant witch hazel. Its perfume is described as sweet and intoxicating - noticeable 10 meters away from the plant. Other varieties have very delicate, if any, noticeable scent. Some, may even smell like a "wet dog". So, find a witch hazel in bloom and sniff before buying! Witch hazel is a great four season plant because the leaves turn brilliant shades of yellow and/or red in fall.
Hamamelis fall foliage This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
Growing Witch Hazel. Other than H. Japonica, the Hamamelis spp. are hardy plants (hardiness zones 3-8). In general, they are medium to tall (3-4.5 m) deciduous shrubs. Witch hazels come in a variety of growth habits (upright, spreading, weeping), and forms (rounded, vase like). In conditions of partial shade, witch hazel will have a tendency to stretch out and grow a bit gangly - so best to give it a spot in full-part sun. It is not a fussy shrub and will tolerate a range of soils (clay, loam, sand). It will, of course, perform best in well drained, loamy, acid soil. Place it in front of an evergreen shrub so that the delicate flowers will pop out in contrast.
For more information about choosing a variety go to: https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo/which_witch_hazel_should_be_your_yard
Fun Fact: Witch hazel is derived from “wicke hazel”. "Wicke" is an early Anglo-Saxon word for "bend". Pioneers believed that you could use a Y-shaped branch from a witch hazel to divine sources of water and precious metals (gold, silver). Parts of the plant (leaves, twigs, and bark) contain high levels of tannin that were purported to be effective in treating various skin conditions. The binomial name Hamamelis mollis is derived from "hama" ("at the same time") and "melon" ("apple or fruit"). Named by Carl Linnaeus himself when he observed the presence of leaves, fruits and seeds all at the same time on a specimen of North American Witch Hazel.
Drawing - Traite De La Physique Occulte/Bettmann Archive
Daphne
Daphne is a genus of over 50 different deciduous and evergreen species. We will look at those species that are evergreen, bloom in winter, and have lovely floral fragrances. Daphne odora is a shrub native to China. It has an attractive compact rounded form, attractive glossy oval evergreen leaves, and clusters of dainty perfumed flowers.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
The Flowers. Winter Daphne starts blooming in January - February. Pink flower buds form, and then open to clusters of fragrant waxy flowers. The flowers are shades of lilac-pink or even white. The colour of the flower, and leaf, depends on the variety. It is an important source of pollen and nectar (the source of scent) for bees, butterflies, moths, and flies.
The Fragrance. The scent is strong and reminiscent of "gardenia", "jasmine" and/or "orange blossom". Plant it in a sheltered spot where the heavy perfume can accumulate.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Growing Daphne. Daphnes are notorious for being difficult to grow. In general, the plants do not like exposed sites or hot, sunny conditions (hardiness zones of 6-9). Find a sheltered spot ideally protected from the afternoon sun. Think twice, plant once. Choose your spot in the garden wisely. This plant does not like to be moved. Best to plant in spring and give it a full season to settle it. Daphnes can tolerate a range of soil (clay, loam, sand) and soil pH (acid - alkaline) but again probably do best in mildly acidic, loamy soil that drains well. Do not disturb the roots when planting. Plunge the container in water till there are no bubbles. You want the rootball saturated before planting. Take the plant out of the pot, pop it straight into the hole, backfill, tamp down and leave it alone. If happy, it will grow slowly into a small rounded shrub (height 90-120 cm; spread 60-120 cm).
Unfortunately, Daphnes are relatively short lived shrubs and prone to "sudden death" likely due to a virus. Almost overnight the leaves turn yellow and drop off. Shrubs may need to be replaced every 5 years or so. Oh well.. time to try a different variety. Daphne bhoula also has an intense fragrance but it is a slightly bigger more upright shrub. Newer hybrid cultivars are purported to be more sun-tolerant and easier to grow. Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance' and Daphne 'Spring Break Eternal Fragrance' cultivars are the result of decades of intensive breeding efforts by Robin White. These two shrubs start blooming in spring, and continue blooming for months.
Learn more about the different types of daphne spp.
Fun Fact. Daphne is a minor figure in greek mythology. Eros, the god of love, was offended by Apollo. He shot two arrows in retaliation. One hit Apollo and filled him with lust for the water nymph Daphne. The other arrow hit Daphne, and filled her with loathing for Apollo. Apollo pursued Daphne relentlessly. Daphne, tired of running, begged her river god father to save her. Her father turned Daphne into a laurel tree. (No, plants from the Genus Laurus are not related to plants from the Genus Daphne.) Daphne laureola is the name of the invasive Daphne shrub found on Mayne Island, BC. Each part of the Daphne plant (leaves, stems, roots) is toxic if ingested, and the sap can irritate the skin. So pruning of the ornamental plants should be done with gloves on and cautiously (if at all). Invasive Daphnes are best cut off at the point that the stem and the root meet.
Apollo and Daphne by Veronese, c. 1560–65 (San Diego Museum of Art)
Edgeworthia chrysantha (Paper bush or Yellow Daphne)
Native to China and the Himalayas. It was named after Michael Edgeworth (1812-1881) who was a plant collector for the East India Company. It is a deciduous shrub that grows along stream banks in Asia. It has four seasons of interest. The plant has large attractive blue-green leaves with a silver undertone, red bark, silky silver flower buds, and yellow-white flowers. It is a multi-stemmed shrub that forms an attractive rounded form.
The Flowers. One very attractive feature are the silky silver flower buds that appear in late summer/fall. The buds open from February - April.
Photo from Gardenia.net
The flowers are umbels, made up of 40 tiny tubular golden yellow flowers (above). Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Red Dragon' has orange-red flowers (below). The shrub has a long blooming period of 4-6 weeks.
Photo: Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Red Dragon' Gardenia.net.
The Fragrance. Paper bush has a strong gardenia like fragrance, similar to Daphne odora.
Growing Edgeworthia. This is a low maintenance shrub. It is hardy in zones 8-10. Best grown in dappled shade. It likes moist, but well-drained loamy soil. It has a moderate growth rate, and will grow to a height and spread of 120-180 cm. It is not bothered by any pests or diseases and does not need to be pruned. It has a beautiful branching habit that results in a very elegant shrub form.
Fun Fact. In Japan, the fibrous inner bark of E chrysantha was traditionally used to make bank notes. In 2024, a new 10, 000 Yen bank note made from E chrysantha will once again be issued in Japan. In the Himalayas, the inner bark of Daphne bhoula shrubs is used to produce 'Lokta' paper. The advantage of these handmade traditional papers are that they; are durable and last for many years, have a unique and beautiful feel and texture, do not tear, are resistant to diseases and pests (eg. silverfish) and do not dissolve in water.
A photo of the 10,000 Yen bank note scheduled to be issued in 2024 made from E chrysantha
財務省 (Ministry of Finance Japan), CC BY 4.0
<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Learn more about the paper making:
These are but a few of the wonderful fragrant shrubs that can be used to enhance your winter-garden. Other shrubs to consider are; Chimonanthus praecox (Wintersweet), Lonicera fragrantissima ‘Winter Beauty’, Sarcococca confusa (Sweet box), Skimmia japonica 'Rubella', 'Fragrant Cloud' and 'Kew Green', Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ and Viburnum tinus.
Add a fragrant winter shrub to your garden, and be prepared to step outside - even in inclement weather!
For past posts or to subscribe future blogs go here https://www.leslieanngardendesign.ca/blog
Comments