Edgeworthia chrysantha
Paper bush
Also known as Edgeworthia papyrifera
- Height × spread
- 1.5m × 1.5m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Average winter to - 10C (RHS H4)
- Flowers
- Winter, Spring
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
A shrub that is extraordinary when in flower. In winter, without leaves it stands rigidly, branches outspread. This gaunt framework is transformed in late winter, February and March, when festooned with numerous clusters of tiny tubular white flowers with bright yellow flared petals at their tips. These are gathered into a tight rounded fist that dangle from the branches like so many Christmas baubles. They have a strong sweet fragrance that hangs in the air if grown in a sheltered woodland site. Out of flower it makes a solid, again rigid looking shrub with large, long green leaves. These are silky on their underside. In Japan the plant is used as a source material for bank notes. It is said that the stems are so flexible they can be knotted. This should be grown in a sheltered spot as the blooms are susceptible to frost damage.
- Flower colour
- White
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- Yes, sweet
- Shape
- Fan
- Height
- 1.5m
- Spread
- 1.5m
- Season of interest
- Spring, Winter
- Flowers in
- Winter, Spring
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Winter garden, Scented garden, Exotic garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, tolerates part shade
- Soil type
- Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil, Well drained soil
- Hardiness
- Average winter to - 10C (RHS H4)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Wall cover, Structural, Sensory garden (tactile)
- Walls
- East, South, West facing
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring - late · Outdoors
Apply slow release fertiliser
Apply a slow release fertiliser which is spread around the root area of plants soon after they have come into growth. (Or apply a liquid feed at regular intervals throughout the growing season.)
This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost as a single annual procedure.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water to keep the soil moist
For best results, this plant needs soil that is always moist. Water deeply and regularly as soon as soil appears dry. Even for established plants in the ground, a dry week can cause problems with some soils. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather. Or install an automatic irrigation system which will do the hard work for you, even when you are away on holiday.
Without regular watering some plants never fully regain their beauty.
Winter
Winter · Planting
Apply a protective mulch
Protect with a mulch so that the plant does not become too wet in winter.
A mulch is a covering that can: protect the soil surface from rain, heat and cold; deter weeds; provide nutrients. Organic indicates that material has vegetative origin e.g. manure, compost. Synthetics i.e. plastics, or stones are often called mulches.
Planting & general
Outdoor planting · Planting
Add root growth stimulant to the planting hole
Mycorrhizal fungi helps roots establish quickly, so they absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. It comes as a powder, granule or gel. Add to the planting hole or container, and to the plant's rootball before planting in the hole. For "bareroot" plants use a gel.