The Chinese Winter Flower is an easy-care ornamental shrub whose flowers smell delicately of vanilla and beautify the garden in winter.
The Chinese winter blossom (Chimonanthus praecox) brings life to the dreary conservatory. As the name suggests, the Chinese winter blossom blooms during the cold season, between November and March to be precise. The yellow flowers are a welcome eye-catcher and also spread a pleasant scent that is reminiscent of vanilla. The compact shrub is also suitable for planting in a container and the flowering branches in the vase make you look forward to spring.
Origin and characteristics
The Chinese winter blossom belongs to the spice shrub family. The home of the plant is the mountain forests in eastern China, where the Chinese Winter Flower can be found at altitudes of up to 300 metres.
The pretty ornamental shrub has been known for centuries and was described in more detail by Carl von Linné in 1766.
In Japan, the flowering branches are a popular symbol of luck. The Chinese winter blossom should not be confused with the snowflake bush (Chionanthus virginicus).
| Chinese Winter Flower (Chimonanthus praecox) | |
|---|---|
| Growth Speed: | 10 - 30 cm a year |
| Growth: | 200 - 300 cm |
| Growth: | 150 - 250 cm |
| Root system: | Deep Roots |
| Location: | Sun |
| Floor: | normal, well drained, high nutrient requirement |
Location and substrate
The Chinese Winter Flower thrives best in a sunny spot. Although the plant grows slowly, it can reach heights of more than three meters in a sheltered location. The shrub grows 10 to 30 centimeters in height every year.
A loose, nutrient-rich soil is the ideal substrate for the fairly undemanding flowering shrub. A sandy, loamy soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5 provides the ideal basis for growth.
The Chinese winter blossom thrives best in a single position on a sheltered and south-facing house wall. A pretty oneArrangement is created in combination with snowdrops, crocuses or spring roses.
Planting Chinese Wintersweet
As the Chinese Winter Flower is offered as a container plant, the shrub can be planted on frost-free days all year round. So that the plants can grow well and develop a stable root system until winter, spring planting is preferable.
Planting Chinese winter flowers - step by step
- Select Location
- Removing weeds and roots from the ground
- Pot Chinese Wintersweet
- Water Chinese Wintersweet
- Dig planting hole
- Put the Chinese winter blossom in the planting hole
- Fill substrate
- Press the earth well
- Water Chinese Wintersweet
Chinese winter blossom - care
The Chinese winter blossom should be watered with care. A wet location is just as little tolerated as prolonged drought. If the plant is supplied with mature compost in spring, no additional fertilization is required.
» Tip: A layer of mulch in the root area regulates the moisture balance and also serves as winter protection.
Pruning Chinese Wintersweet
Regular pruning is not absolutely necessary, but the plant usually tolerates it without any problems. In contrast to various spring bloomers, the Chinese winter bloomer does not tend to age, but shows an increasingly attractive appearance year after year and without any pruning.
If the shrub is to be pruned, the best time is immediately after flowering, because the Chinese winter blossom buds in the previous year.
» Tip: Bushes that are too dense look better if they are regularly trimmed.
Propagate Chinese Wintersweet
The easiest way to propagate the Chinese winter flower is by seeds. When the seeds turn brown, they can be harvested and sown immediately. If the seeds do not harden before cultivation, 90 percent of them will germinate. In the first two years the seedlings are sensitive to frost and should overwinter frost-free.
Propagation by lowering is also possible. In spring the young shoots are planted in the ground. There they form roots over the summer and can be separated from the mother plant in autumn.
Diseases and Pests
The hardy plant is not susceptible todisease or pest infestation. Susceptibility to peak drought can be countered by targeted pruning.
Chinese Winter Blossom in Winter
The ornamental shrub is considered hardy. Young plants are more sensitive and should be covered with leaves or brushwood. Fleece protection is recommended in severe frost.