garden adventurer WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY L.A. JACKSON
Sweet Wintersweet By January, dedicated green thumb gardeners begin yearning for something, anything, growing in the landscape that hints of the coming spring, which is still many, many weeks away. One plant that readily comes to the rescue is wintersweet, an unusual shrub that bears its brave flowers during these coldest times of the year. Shaped like small butter-colored bells, wintersweet’s blooms are, indeed, a welcome sight in January’s garden that is comforting to the eyes. But as an unexpected bonus, these blossoms are also a veritable feast for the nose. While the flowers are modest in appearance, they fill the chilled air with a marvelous, sweet scent that surprises many gardeners not expecting such a treat until roses, gardenias, heliotropes and other similarly fragrant flowers start their shows in the warmer months, long after winter has become a memory. Botanically known as — take a deep breath if you are going to try to pronounce it — Chimonanthus praecox, wintersweet is a shrub that can grow 10 to 12 feet high and just about as wide if left unpruned. It has a loose, multi-branched habit with deciduous, glossygreen, lance-shaped leaves, which turn a modest light yellow with the arrival of autumn. In short, not a growing season specimen plant, but this shrub certainly should be placed close to paths, entryways and other frequently-visited areas to take best advantage of its pleasing, surprisingly scented winter flowers. Wintersweet adapts to many soil types but does best in moderately well-drained sites. And for maximum cold season flower power, plant in full sun. A pruning every few years after the blossoms are spent will also encourage more blooms in winters to come. There is also an advantage to lightly pruning wintersweet before this shrub blooms: cut branches can be forced into flower earlier indoors. Snip a few shoots about 12 to 18 inches long, bring inside, and soak them in warm water overnight. Then place the branches in a vase that is away from sunlight, change the water weekly, and when the buds begin to swell, move the plant to a prime spot in the home 104
JANUARY 2016
Wintersweet blooms are a welcome sight in January gardens.
(again, out of direct sun) where the bursting blooms can be a treat for both the eyes and nose. Wintersweet is native to China but was introduced into American gardens in the early 1800s, meaning despite such a distant origin, it is an established plant in the nursery trade and not that hard to find at area or online garden shops. ‘Luteus’ is the most common cultivar offered today and has medium-yellow blooms. Another selection, ‘Grandiflorus,’ lives up to its name with larger flowers that are dipped in a deeper yellow hue. However, while the flowers of the newer cultivars ‘Luteus’ and ‘Grandiflorus’ have slightly more visual appeal when compared to the lighter blooms of the standard, plain ol’ Chimonanthus praecox, if possible go with the original. This straight species’ pale blossoms aren’t as eye-catching, but their pleasing fragrance tends to be stronger, meaning next year’s winter garden will be all the more sweet. L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener Magazine. Want to ask L.A. a question about your garden? Contact him by email at lajackson1@gmail.com.