Chimonanthus praecox | Wintersweet

Chimonanthus praecox is also known as wintersweet, and it is prized for its sweet-scented attractive winter blooms. The small, pale yellow bowl like flowers are waxy and almost transparent in appearance on bare stems, and whilst they are only small, they fill the chilled winter air with wonderful scent.

Bad weather, snow, and cold temperatures do not prevent Chimonanthus from performing well.  It is frost-hardy up to a temperature of -28°C so not a plant for very warm areas. We are in Drury and normally get some frosts so it is fine here but certainly not for super warm areas.  I have a friend in west auckland and she has hers in a shady cool spot and she said it does flower, and like us all if you really love it you will probably disregard the information here and give it a go!

Absolutely stunning for floral work!  To condition Chimonanthus stems, make a 5cm vertical cut in the end of the stem and give a long drink of warm water.

Whilst Wintersweet is a large shrub, and it is great choice for a medium-sized garden as it reaches a maximum height of up to 3m and spreads to around 2.5m. Plants are vase like in their growth habit with a slightly arching habit.  Leaves are dark green in summer and change to a buttery yellow in autumn.

Like many winter flowering shrubs, these plants require the heat of summer to bloom well in winter. 

To get the best from this shrub, plant Chimonanthus praecox in a warm, sheltered position, in full sun. Plants like medium levels of moisture but do like a well drained position and are in fact drought tolerant once established.  Plants may take a few years before they start to flower, but it is well worth the wait. When in flower it is normally from around late May until around Spring time.

As it is not the foliage that is this plants redeeming feature, it might benefit from being next to a showy climber or shrub. It’s a good shrub to plant near a doorway or by a path, to catch the delicious scent as you pass. It’s also good for training against a warm, north-facing wall. Plants should be mulched each year with well-rotted manure or compost. Not much pruning is required other than removing dead, diseased or crossing branches.  If using for cutting for floral work, prune carefully as wintersweet flowers on new growth.

Deciduous | Hardy

Height up to 2.5m x 2.5 m 

Plant Size = 3 Litre