An early afternoon walk today at Duke Gardens was invigorating. The air was chilly in the shade but in the open sun the day felt fine.
A long row of Edgeworthia Chrysantha (Chinese Paper Bush) made a striking winter accent at the base of the terraced gardens.
Edgeworthia Chrysantha (Chinese Paper Bush)
Edgeworthia Chrysantha (Chinese Paper Bush)
Specimens in pots near the visitor’s center held more Edgeworthia, one of which sported a couple of flowers just beginning to open.
Edgeworthia Chrysantha (Chinese Paper Bush)
The state’s warm spell from earlier in the week teased a few buds into bloom on a Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ (Autumn Higan Cherry), offering a spirit-lifting glimpse at the promise of spring.
Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ Autumn Higan Cherry
I don’t know Edgeworthia, but I’ve seen it twice today in blogs. Is it very cold hardy?
Cindy, I learned about it last year through my garden club, but it has been in my local public gardens for a while apparently. I checked a reliable source that says Edgeworthia chrysantha is winter-hardy (below 0 degrees F).
I’ll have to look for it next time I’m in a nursery in the D.C. area.
Hope you find one. A well-regarded mail-order source near here is Plant Delight Nursery.
I’ve never seen that Chinese Paper bush before… very unusual, and pretty too. And blossom in December is wonderful! 😀
Cathy, these silvery buds show up in December when the leaves fall. Its bloom period is mid-January to early April. I read it is a member of the daphne family. It is supposed to have a magnificent scent, but I’ve never really been around one in full bloom.
The sunshine looks lovely, the Prunus is flowering here in London too, and as you say is a nice reminder that spring will come.
Spring feels closer to me than it probably is.
Yes, I know what you mean, a warm sunny day plus a bulb flowering or some blossom on a tree and I am ready for it to be spring even though it might only be January.
I have only recently started to follow your blog and was not sure where Duke Gardens was, so googled and have found the website, this looks like a thoroughly wonderful place to visit, I hope I get the chance one day.
Hope you do get to visit Julie! Duke Gardens has become one of my favorite year-round destinations. Thanks for visiting my blog today!
I love Edgeworthia chrysantha, it is a beautiful plant and how lovely to have a row of it. It is not hardy in the UK I have found out to my cost. Things that bloom in the winter are extra precious.
Chloris
Hi Chloris. Too bad Edgeworthia doesn’t thrive in your area. It is growing on me. I have yet to see one in full bloom, but will make a point to return to Duke Gardens to check on its progress. My own garden could use some winter interest.
We had similar weather here yesterday, it was great to get outside and not have to worry about freezer-burn! Signs of spring are much scarcer here, which is a good thing! We still have far too long to go and I’m always getting a way too early case of spring fever…. Love the edgeworthia!
You’re right it may be too soon for dreaming of spring. Glad you had some agreeable weather for enjoying the outdoors. Ours has been all over the place. Today we’re in the middle of getting two inches of rain.
I love edgeworthia and am glad that they are becoming more common. A hedge of them would be wonderful. I visited Duke Gardens in May and would love to see it in winter.
I hesitate to buy one because they seem to grow quite large, but I liked these smaller specimens all lined up. April-May is my favorite time at Duke Gardens. Perhaps you’ll let me know when you’re coming again.
I’ve never seen Edgeworthia Chrysanthia before. The flower looks very unusual, fuzzy little thing. When you mentioned ‘magnificent scent’ it made it even more appealing. Very tempting. I will have to check it out.
I hope to return in a few weeks so I can verify their fragrance. The flowers are definitely a little odd.
Edgeworthia can be seen a lot in the gardens around Lago Maggiore and I also admire them but sadly can’t offer the conditions they need.
I imagine that is a gorgeous area. Just learning about Edgeworthia so I’d better study up on the requirements. Happy New Year to you Annette! Susie
The Edgeworthia look so big and healthy. I planted a leggy one this year. The shurb itself is very lovely, it has long dark green leaves that stand out nicely in the landscape. Mine does not seem to be doing too well. I inspected the flowers and they seem to be shriveled and are breaking off. There appears to be only one the seems fine. I hope that it survives the winter and blooms.
Flora, I haven’t grown Edgeworthia myself so can’t offer any tips, but I do hope yours will be ok. Perhaps it needs another year to get acclimated to your garden.
Yes, I hope that is the case. I hope there will be updates on it once the one bloom opens for me. Till then I will keep talking to it 🙂
Gorgeous close-ups – those Chinese paper buds are quite something.
I’ll have to return to that garden soon. I wonder how the buds are holding up against the weird weather we are having. Possibly in the 60s F. today before falling to between 5-10 F. degrees tonight.
I must add this shrub to my plant shopping list. Thanks for the reminder.
Stepheny, I haven’t been back to Duke Gardens to see how the Edgeworthia held up during the cold, rainy weather of late. Hope you find a nice one.
Dear pbmGarden. Today we poked around at our favorite plantsfolk, under the pretext of chasing plants’ names. Promising ourselves, with a reminder that deferring gratification is often healing, only two helleborus. Lo! We could not get the Edgeworthia chrysantha from our mind. Like a puppy in a window! A plant of ancient cultivation with remarked properties. Thanks pbm, for the serendipitous encouragement and discussion. Wonderful and useful snaps. Edgeworthia chrysantha is reputed to be easier to grow than Daphne, but like Daphne, has preferences for sun and time of day. If I am not mistaken, it has been in American test gardens only about 50-75 years. – The Healing Garden gardener
Thanks for the information. I didn’t know when it was introduced, but Edgeworthia has become popular in the last few years, at least I see it referenced more frequently. If you decide to grow it I hope it works well for you. I haven’t returned to Duke Gardens lately but wonder how it is faring in the very cold winter. Susie
At Kew Gardens, Edgeworthia chrysantha has been cultivated about 100 years. Many years ago we kept a garden North of London. The climate is very similar to the climate of the Healing Garden in the Pacific Northwest. It is snow hardy there, and reportedly so in parts of the US. If you are unable to see the flowers this Spring, there may be someone at Duke who will shoot a snap for us. The Edgeworthia chrysantha the Healing Garden gardener knows of is behind Museum No. 1.
For consideration, the bark of Edgeworthia chrysantha is used in making the highest quality paper in the world. A few years ago, the Japanese government switched to a manila-based fiber for its bank notes. The commercial value of Edgeworthia chrysantha declined. In China, it is valued as a folklore healing remedy. It’s obscure rare beauty makes it precisely the plant for the Healing Garden. – The Healing Garden gardener