Photo by y-studio, iStock
My spring begins sooner than yours does. No, I don’t “snow bird” down to a condo in Miami, nor do I book an extended Caribbean cruise for January. Instead, I have wintersweet.
Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) is an unusual woody ornamental that bears its brave flowers during the coldest times of the year. Shaped like small, butter-colored bells, they are, indeed, a welcome sight in the winter garden, but, as a bonus, these blossoms are a veritable feast for the nose. Their pleasant scent—which, to me, can best be described as “lemony sweet”—fills the chilled air, amazing visitors not expecting such an olfactory indulgence until spring treats like roses, gardenias, magnolias and other similarly fragrant flowers begin to perfume the garden.
Depending on your point of view, wintersweet is either a large shrub or small tree, growing around 12 feet high and just about as wide if not pruned regularly. It has an open, multi-branched habit with deciduous, glossy-green, lance-shaped leaves that turn a modest light yellow in autumn. It is not particularly a growing-season specimen plant, but wintersweet will still make an interesting addition to the garden, especially close to paths, entryways and other frequently visited areas, to take advantage of its surprisingly aromatic winter flowers.
Wintersweet—deer-resistant, by the way—can adapt to many soil types but does best in well-draining sites. For maximum cold-season flower power, plant this pretty in full sun. A pruning every few years after the blossoms are spent will encourage more branching, thus more blooms in the winters to come.
And do try forcing snipped branches into blooming indoors. Just cut a few shoots about 18 inches long and place in a vase of warm water. Then, set them away from direct sunlight and change the water weekly, and when the buds begin to swell, move the branches to a prime spot inside where the bursting blooms can be a treat for both the eyes and nose.
Wintersweet is a native of China but was introduced to American gardens in the early 1800s, meaning it is an established nursery plant and shouldn’t be too hard to find at area garden shops or online sites. Luteus, the most common cultivar offered today, has medium-yellow blooms. Another selection, Grandiflorus, lives up to its name with larger flowers that are dipped in a deeper yellow hue.
January in the garden
• Did you build a compost pile last fall? If so, on a mild day, get some midwinter exercise by thoroughly turning the pile over to keep the decomposition process going strong, helping it become the “black gold” that will enrich spring planting sites.
• Fertilizer salts can take the “pretty” away from decorative clay pots that cuddle your indoor plants by besmirching their rims with a leaching white residue. However, such a mess can be cleaned by wiping with a solution of equal parts water and vinegar, using a plastic scrubber such as an old toothbrush to help remove any stubborn stains.
Tip of the month
Common camellias (Camellia japonica) will also start their early spring with cheerful flowers that begin to bloom during the chilliest days and become more numerous as the weather warms. But with this pretty sight comes a pretty important chore: Fallen blossoms are prime breeding grounds for camellia petal blight, a fungal disease that misshapes and discolors future flowers with ugly splotches of brown. This nasty’s annual development cycle can be disrupted if spent blossoms are gathered up and tossed in the trash, so be sure to rake underneath your bushes about once a week during their winter/spring flower show.
L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.